Whispering Silk
by Starian NightZz
Summary: It is year 2010, and Hariyama Yuuki has been dead for a year. And Aragaki Shinjiro had been given a chance to go back to 2009 to change everything and to save the love of his life before she takes her final breath. Shinji/FemMC
1. Going Back

_Summary:_

_It is year 2010, and Hariyama Yuuki has been dead for a year. And Aragaki Shinjiro had been given a chance to go back to 2009 to change everything and to save the love of his life before she takes her final breath. Shinji/FemMC_

So I've only just picked up the Persona 3 Portable game, and totally fell in love with the game! And my favourite pairing is Shinjiro and the female protagonist. Now, I know that her canon name is 'Arisato Minako', but I feel like I'm typing Minato from Naruto whenever I type Minako, and besides, the name that I've used for the protagonist in the game is 'Hariyama Yuuki'. This is my first time writing a Persona 3 fanfic, so do go easy on me.

Anyway, I've seen quite a few time travel stories in Persona 3, in which either Minato or Minako travels back in time to prevent all the bad stuff from happening. And I wonder, what if the one to time travel isn't the Wild Card, but one of the other members of SEES? Thus, Shinjiro will be the one time travelling in this story. Yuuki will still be the main character of this story, but I'll probably be alternating between views with every alternate chapter.

And if anyone is interested to know, I've started an anime/game review blog on Tumblr. The link is on my profile. Go and take a look at my blog if you're interested, and I'll also appreciate it if you can comment on some of the posts.

**Warnings: **Slight violence. Suicidal implications. Lemon scenes.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Persona 3 Portable or any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

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><p><strong>Chapter One: Going Back<strong>

The graveyard of Iwatodai is silent, with the only sounds being the chirping of the birds currently perched within the tree branches of the trees in the cemetery, with the notes of a song falling from their throats.

It is currently early March, with the weather taking a turn for the worse – being colder than usual. But still, that didn't stop the six teenagers and one pre-teen, with one dog among them, from entering the cemetery, all bundled up in thick coats but one, all heading straight towards one particular gravestone that they always came to visit regularly.

Taking the lead was a pale brunette girl, currently dressed in a pink blouse, also with a dark pink coat on over her blouse, a sad look on her face, a bouquet of orange tulips with red tips to it nestled within her arms.

A pale-faced girl with short dark hair, dressed in the Gekkoukan High School uniform, a grey coat worn over it, fell in step beside the brunette girl. Right behind the two girls was a tanned boy with a goatee and a blue cap, a sullen look on his face as he shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his coat.

Behind the tanned boy was a girl with light blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, a sad look on her face that looks as if she is about to cry at any moment, dressed in the winter school uniform of Gekkoukan High. A silver Shiba-Inu with crimson red eyes was walking by her side, giving out light whines every now and then, nudging her leg with his nose. The youngest among their group – the pre-teen, kept looking back over his shoulder every now and then, as if hoping to see someone or something.

Taking the rear of their group was the two oldest whom seemed to be college students or something. One was a handsome silver-haired young man with defined muscles, obvious even beneath the coat that he is wearing. Falling in step beside him was a redhead woman with a mature and defined air to her, carrying herself elegantly.

The six teenagers, with one pre-teen and a dog amongst them headed silently to the gravestone that they always visited on those three special dates every single year without fail – their beloved friend's death anniversary, her birthday, and on the last day of January.

The gravestone was an elaborate looking one, made out of the finest marble that the Kirijo Group could find, courtesy of their current President – Kirijo Mitsuru. It even had twin angels engraved at the top of the gravestone, with cursive and elegant writing engraved on the marble itself:

_Here lies Hariyama Yuuki  
><em>_Friend to all and sister to some  
><em>_May she find in Death what she could not find in Life  
><em>_31 July 1992 to 3 March 2010_

Takeba Yukari was the first to reach the gravestone, and trembling as she did every single time whenever she came here, she knelt down to the ground before placing the bouquet of flowers down before the gravestone, running her fingertips across the engraved words on the marble, trying to hold back her tears.

Yamagishi Fuuka who was cleaning the gravestone solemnly flinched as she heard the silent sobs and turned towards her friend. "Y-Yukari-chan…" she whispered.

Iori Junpei sighed, scratching his head beneath his cap. "Yuka-tan, you should try to stop crying whenever we came here. Yuuki-tan wouldn't like to see you like this as well." He said solemnly.

Koromaru, the silver Shiba-Inu whined and nudged Yukari in the side with his nose. Yukari sniffed and patted Koromaru on the head as she looked up at her friends. "I'm sorry," she sniffed. "I know that Yuuki wouldn't like to see me like this, but I just couldn't help it… Why must she die? It's not fair!"

"I wonder if being human means feeling like this…" Aigis, the blonde haired robot who had been their beloved leader and friend's self-appointed bodyguard whispered to herself, placing one hand over her chest where her heart would have been if she had one. "What is this strange feeling? I wasn't able to protect her… I… Yuuki-san…"

Amada Ken looked over his shoulder towards the entrance of the graveyard hopefully, but no scowling brunette young man with his eternal beanie and burgundy pea coat came traipsing through the gates of the graveyard. The pre-teen and soon to be middle schooler looked up at Sanada Akihiko and Kirijo Mitsuru with sadness visible in his eyes.

"Aragaki-sempai isn't coming, is he?" Ken asked quietly.

Silence fell among the entire group at the sound of his name. Akihiko finally broke the silence and scratched the back of his head. "Probably not," he finally stated. "I'll go and find him later."

"You can't blame him," said Fuuka timidly. "He and Yuuki-chan are… You know?" She flailed her hands about helplessly, trying to get her point across. "He all but broke down on the day when Yuuki-chan…" She trailed off, and everyone knew which day that she is talking about.

It was Graduation Day nearly a year ago from this day, when all of them have gotten their memories back simultaneously, and have rushed straight to the rooftop of the Gekkoukan High School as they've promised. But they were just a step too late, as Aragaki Shinjiro had been the last one to see their beloved leader alive, apart from Aigis, before she took her final breath in his arms.

"Is he still drinking, Akihiko?" Mitsuru turned towards the silver haired boxer who nodded sullenly. After his graduation from high school a year ago, Akihiko had moved into a modest looking apartment not too far away from Iwatodai, and had dragged his best friend to move in with him so that he could keep an eye on the distraught brunette.

The redhead then sighed. "When will he ever stop torturing himself?" she asked no one.

"Same as us, sempai," said Junpei sadly, taking off his cap and twisting it in his hands. "Never."

Akihiko sighed before turning on his heel and walking back towards the entrance of the graveyard. "You pay your respects to Hariyama," he told them, turning over his shoulder to look at his friends. "I'll go to where Shinji is. I know where he is."

**XXXXXX**

_Back Alley  
><em>_Tatsumi Port Island_

The back alley of Tatsumi Port Island had always been a regular hangout for punks of all kinds, and any person with a sane mind would do well to keep away from there. But on that day, there is only one lone person that could be found in the back alley, a number of empty beer cans littered all around him.

The dark bags under his eyes and his pale and sunken cheeks told a story of several sleepless nights for this young man, and with barely anything to eat for several days. And for all his young tender age of nineteen, he looks older than that.

Light footsteps echoed in the silence, and Aragaki Shinjiro looked up with slightly unfocused eyes, a half empty can of beer currently clutched in his right hand. Sanada Akihiko soon came into view, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his coat, a sad look on his face as he laid eyes on his best friend who is slowly getting wasted away.

Shinjiro immediately averted his eyes away from his childhood friend. He doesn't need the pitying looks now.

"I knew that you'd be here." Akihiko stated. "You do know what day it is today, don't you? Why didn't you come?"

"I don't deserve to see her. Leave me alone, Aki." Shinjiro slurred.

Akihiko was silent for a very long time before he spoke again, his tone dangerous. "Do you think that Hariyama would have wanted to see you like this?" he questioned dangerously, and Shinjiro turned furious eyes towards his old friend only to stop when he noticed the look in Akihiko's eyes. "Do you think that she wanted to see you wasting your life away like that?"

"Shut up!" Shinjiro roared, lunging a punch at Akihiko. But he is currently so weak and so devoid of strength that Akihiko managed to catch his fist with no effort whatsoever. "I couldn't save her!" He yelled, as he nearly collapsed to the ground had Akihiko not caught him before he could do that. "I couldn't save her! I am a sinful person, and she… She just refused to leave me alone, and I fell for her even without knowing it! Then…" Shinjiro coughed harshly. "Why Yuuki? Why her? Why must she die? Why am I still alive when she isn't? Is this my punishment for all my sins? If so, then punish me, not her!"

"Shinji, Hariyama chose this of her own free will in order to save us—" Akihiko begun, but was cut off by Shinjiro.

"I loved her!" Shinjiro yelled, not caring if all of Tatsumi Port Island could hear him, dropping the can in his hand, the contents spilling onto the ground. His legs swayed, and he grabbed onto Akihiko's arms to steady himself. "I love her, damn it! I tried to forget, but I couldn't! I can't do it! I love her! What else am I supposed to do, huh? Tell me!"

Akihiko froze in his tracks as he heard that one word coming out of his best friend's mouth – the one word that he didn't think Shinjiro would ever say in his life. "S-Shinji…"

Shinjiro collapsed to the ground, punching at the ground with his fist again and again until it bled, tears spilling from his cheeks, shocking Akihiko, as he had never seen his best friend cried before. "I couldn't save her…! Why Yuuki? Why her? If only I'd died that day as well… If so, then at least I might be able to see her now!"

"You can't keep doing this to yourself, Shinji!" Akihiko tried to help Shinjiro up, but his hand was slapped away. "Hariyama didn't give her life for you to kill yourself like this!"

"Don't speak for her. No one can speak for the dead. You should know this!" Shinjiro barked at Akihiko who stepped back as if he was slapped. "Leave me. Go join the others, Aki. I'm just a dead man, a ghost. Yuuki is the only good thing that had happened to me, and I couldn't save her. Leave me alone, Aki."

Seeing Shinjiro getting more agitated, Akihiko decided it best if he leave his best friend alone for now. "If you're not home by midnight, I'm going to drag you back, whether you like it or not," he told Shinjiro. "And stop torturing yourself. Hariyama wouldn't like it. Though I suppose I'm not really one to speak." He muttered as the silver haired boxer left the back alley.

**XXXXXX**

_09:00pm  
><em>_Iwatodai Graveyard_

It was late at night, but that didn't stop Aragaki Shinjiro from entering the graveyard, having tried to sober himself up as much as he could, also trying to make himself look presentable. The shadows of the trees in the graveyard would cause those with over imaginative minds to frighten themselves out of their wits, but probably, not even a real ghost itself will frighten Shinjiro now.

The brunette almost stumbled over his own feet as he approached Yuuki's gravestone, falling to his knees as he rubbed his thumb over her name, thinking back to many a time when he had caressed her cheek, with her smiling up at him gently and shyly.

"It's been a year, Yuuki." Shinjiro stated. "I miss you. If just once more… Just once more is all right… I want to see you again." The prickle of tears pricked at his eyes. _"I love you, _Yuuki." He whispered.

The cracking of twigs behind him caught Shinjiro's attention just then, and he turned only to see a fellow dressed in a very strange getup approaching him. He had extremely light blonde hair and equally pale blue eyes. He wore black slacks with a bright blue jacket and tie, with a blue cap that kind of looked like a bellboy's on his head.

"Who are you?" Shinjiro demanded, wiping the tears with the back of his hand quickly.

This guy doesn't look like one of Yuuki's many friends. He should know, considering he had all but camped in the graveyard during the first month of her death, and every single one of Yuuki's friends had came by at least once to pay their respects. Even that French fellow, Bebe or something, had flown in straight from France to visit her gravestone the moment that he had heard that she had passed away. The poor boy was practically bawling his eyes out. The prim and proper Hidetoshi from the Student Council had nearly broken down in front of her gravestone as well.

"You must be Aragaki Shinjiro." The strange man bowed to him slightly. "I am pleased to meet you. Yuuki-sama has spoken well of you, and that you are the one whom she longs for most of all." The strange man smiled at Shinjiro. "I am Theodore."

Shinjiro stared at Theodore for a very long time without saying anything at all. Just who the hell is this guy? And why did he address Yuuki with the '-sama' suffix? He knew of almost all of Yuuki's friends, as she had practically rattled off a list of them during their time spent together during that one month before his coma. And if it is something that Shinjiro had prided himself on (sans for his cooking skills), it is his marvellous memory. And the brunette young man definitely didn't recall Yuuki mentioning a 'Theodore' before.

"Do you know Yuuki?" Shinjiro asked at last.

"Yes," said Theodore with a smile. "She is a very precious guest of ours – me and my master. I am here to offer you a choice, Aragaki Shinjiro. Would you like to see Yuuki-sama again?"

It was like those seven words were the magic words to Shinjiro, as his mind felt clearer than anything else during the past year as he stared at Theodore with wide eyes. "C-Can you do that?" he almost stuttered, despite his brain telling him that the dead _do not _come back to life. "Can I see Yuuki again?"

"Yes," said Theodore with a sad smile. "I do not wish to see Yuuki-sama sad, and to see her last wish go unfulfilled. Yuuki-sama's last thoughts are of you, Aragaki Shinjiro. She is a precious guest of mine, and dare I say it, a precious friend. As such, I would like to fulfil her last wish."

"How?" Shinjiro asked desperately. Even if he had to sell his soul to Satan, he would do it in a heartbeat if he could just see Yuuki again. The woman whom he had fallen so much in love with.

"I will use my power to bring you back in time." Theodore stated solemnly. "To a time when the Dark Hour still exists, and when SEES, along with Yuuki-sama, are putting their lives on the line to fight the Shadows. And if you play your cards right, you might be able to save Yuuki-sama. I will guide you."

Shinjiro gulped. Back in time? Is such a thing even possible? But more importantly, if what he is saying is true, and Shinjiro had a funny feeling that this guy can really do it, what if he loses control of his Persona once he sees Yuuki again and ends up killing her by mistake?

"And don't worry about your Persona," said Theodore, almost as if he had just read Shinjiro's mind. He touched Shinjiro's forehead with two fingers. "If you are the one that Yuuki-sama believes in and loves more than even her own life, then I believe that you won't hurt her. Love is a powerful thing, Aragaki Shinjiro. If Yuuki-sama believes in you, then I believe in you as well. You won't lose control of your Persona. Not now, and not ever."

"I…" Shinjiro stared at his hand that was trembling slightly. Yuuki's words from so long ago then echoed in his ears – on the night when she had confessed to him, and they have both made love to each other.

_I believe in you, Shinjiro-sempai._

_If Yuuki-sama believes in you, then I believe in you as well. You won't lose control of your Persona. Not now, and not ever._

_Live on for me, Shinjiro-sempai. Look after the others. I believe in you._

Shinjiro closed his eyes and clenched his right hand into a fist. _'I understand, Yuuki,' _he thought, opening his eyes again. _'If you say so, then I can't help but to also believe in you. You said that you believe in me. That I won't lose control of my Persona. I'll prove to you that your trust in me isn't wrong. I want to see you just once more.'_

The brunette then turned towards Theodore. "When can I see her?" he asked breathlessly.

Theodore smiled. "Now," he said. "Listen to me, Aragaki Shinjiro. Time travel is a very tricky thing. You have to be _very careful. _Whatever events that you change might also alter the fate of the universe, causing things to not play out as they ought to. I will guide you. Now go, Aragaki Shinjiro." Theodore's fingers glowed blue as he touched Shinjiro's head before a bright flash of light illuminated the brunette's body, and he disappeared from sight. "It will be as you wish it."

Theodore then turned towards Yuuki's gravestone and smiled sadly. His most precious guest…and friend. "Yuuki-sama, forgive me for my selfishness. Even for the last time, I wished to see you," he whispered. "It will be as you wish it – your sincerest wish to save everyone precious to you. Only this time, I will not allow you to die. I will always protect you…" He bowed to the gravestone. "…my precious guest."

* * *

><p><em>AN: I hope that you've enjoyed this chapter and story, and please read and review!_


	2. Back and Again

So a big thank you to everyone who had reviewed! This is my first time writing a Persona 3 story, so I'm not really all that sure how well it would be received.

To _ailiniel, _I didn't even realise that I've made a mistake with the graduation date until you've pointed it out to me. Thanks for the tip off. I've already amended the date of her death, and as far as I understand it, Graduation Day is on the third of March, isn't it? So, that's the day when she died.

And to _Chemical Fire, _I don't mean to be rude here, but what do you mean by I'm 'ripping off good authors'? If you're talking about story plot, I'm pretty sure that there are always several stories out there with similar story plots.

And to answer a few questions, yes, I'll be making Shinji join SEES earlier than canon, and yes, the Theo in the past will be the Theo in the future. Also, just a heads up, but it's been about a month or so since I've last picked up the game, and my memory of the canon events in the game might be a little fuzzy, so just give me a heads up to any mistakes that I've made regarding the events.

**Warnings: **Slight violence. Suicidal implications. Lemon scenes.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Persona 3 Portable or any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

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><p><strong>Chapter Two: Back and Again<strong>

_May 01, 2009  
><em>_Tatsumi Port Island Back Alley_

_Thud!_

"Ouch!" Aragaki Shinjiro groaned as he fell from his makeshift seat of some crate in the back alley of Tatsumi Port Island, and rubbed his back. He then blinked as he took in the sight of the sun shining down on his face. "Huh?"

The brunette's eyes then widened when he remembered everything: his meeting with Theodore, what he had said, and that he has a chance to meet Yuuki again. Quickly, Shinjiro shoved a hand into the pocket of his coat and drew out his cellphone, quickly flipping it opened only to see that day's date flashing back at him: _May 01, 2009._

May 01, 2009.

_2009._

_**2009.**_

Shinjiro's eyes widened. _'2009. He wasn't kidding. He really __**did **__send me back in time,' _he thought in shock. A small smile then appeared on his face, and anyone who happens to see it might just faint, as Aragaki Shinjiro _never _smiles. Or at least, he never _used _to, until he had met Yuuki. _'I can see Yuuki again. And save her.' _

He was about to get to his feet and rush down to the Iwatodai Dorm, but he then stopped, remembering that in the original timeline, he hadn't even met Yuuki yet. His first meeting with her was when Aki had asked him to accompany him to the hospital after having injured his ribs during a mission, as it had been a long time since the silver haired boxer had last seen him.

Shinjiro almost groaned. _'Alright, calm down. Remember what Theodore had said: 'you must be __**very careful'. **__If I really want to save Yuuki, I have to plan things out carefully. As well as that issue about Amada.' _He thought sadly. _'But I can change everything: Kirijo's father wouldn't die – not if I can help it. Then there's the issue about Strega. And I sure as hell wouldn't let that Mochizuki kid near Yuuki!'_

Shinjiro scowled to himself.

He might have been in a coma right after the October fourth battle after having taken two bullets in the chest for Amada, but he could hear everything that Aki had told him. That hot headed friend of his had simply ignored the 'No Visitors' sign on the door during his six month hospital stay until he had woken up, and had simply walked into his room like he had owned the place. Aki had told him about lots of stuff, and about everything that had happened.

Like what had happened with Amada, and the decision that he had made. The battle with Strega on the Moonlight Bridge. Then about that Ikutsuki bastard. But Aki talked about Yuuki most of all, and Shinjiro was glad about that. Privately, he thinks that it might have been because of their rather…one-sided conversation about the chestnut haired girl that had allowed him to live through his coma. Aki had also told him about that Mochizuki kid, and then about Strega once more.

And speaking of Strega…

Shinjiro felt about in his pocket for that familiar bottle of pills, and soon felt his hand closing around something hard. He closed his hand around that object and drew it out again, and there it is: that familiar bottle of pills that had been killing him slowly, and is also the source of Yuuki's pain. He should know, since he had sometimes been forced to take those pills in front of her more than once during one of their many outings, or even when they have walked Koromaru.

And if his memory serves him right, he shouldn't have been taking the suppressants for long if it is currently May. Maybe only about a month or so, if he recalls correctly…

The cellphone currently clutched in his right hand rang just then, startling Shinjiro out of his thoughts, and the surly young man swore to himself inwardly. Just what the hell is wrong with him? Why is he so jumpy all of a sudden, and acting so…_out of character? _

Shinjiro answered the call without even bothering to look at the name displayed on the LCD screen, already knowing who it is. There are only two people who would have telephoned him, and since technically, he hasn't met one of the two yet, there is only one person who would be calling him now.

"What is it, Aki?" Shinjiro snapped in the phone.

Akihiko's light laughter echoed from the other end of the line. _"You're as eloquent as always, Shinji," _he said teasingly. _"Could you accompany me to the hospital? I…kind of busted my ribs during our last mission, and I need to go to the hospital for a check up today. And before you say no, it has been a long time since I've last seen you. At least let me see that you're still alive."_

Shinjiro smiled to himself. He remembered this call from Aki the last time. The silver haired boxer had to practically bring out the big guns before he had agreed to go to the hospital with him.

"Fine," said Shinjiro with a sigh. "I'll meet you at the hospital. Which room?"

Akihiko didn't say anything for several moments before he spoke again, sounding rather bewildered and surprised when he did. Obviously, he didn't expect for Shinjiro to agree so quickly, having been used to dealing with his stubbornness. When Shinjiro doesn't want to do something, nothing in the world can make him do it. The only one whom he would probably rage Hell and high waters for is probably only a certain crimson-eyed girl whom he would be meeting later that day.

"_Er… Well… You will?" _Akihiko sounded both surprised and bewildered. _"It's…Room 406. I'll see you there?"_

"Yeah." Shinjiro grunted into his phone before hanging up the call, a small gentle smile on his face. _She _is the only one who had ever seen him smile. He hasn't smiled once ever since he had killed Amada's mother by mistake.

Feeling a slight rattle against his leg, Shinjiro then stared down at the bottle of pills currently clutched in his hand, having forgotten about it temporarily because of the phone call from Akihiko. He gulped to himself nervously. Can he really handle his Persona without relying on the suppressants? Almost as if his own Persona is mocking him (it is said that Personas are an embodiment of the soul after all), he recalled Yuuki's words to him, and what Theodore had said.

_I believe in you, Shinjiro-sempai._

_If Yuuki-sama believes in you, then I believe in you as well. You won't lose control of your Persona. Not now, and not ever._

The three words 'I believe you' made Shinjiro make his decision right then and there. He stood up, dusting imaginary dust off of his clothes, and chucked the bottle of suppressants into a nearby trashcan as he left the back alley.

He has no need to rely on Strega's drugs ever again. Unlike before, he wants to live. He wants to be there for Yuuki, and not to hear her crying over him on Christmas Eve, making him feel like he's the lowest person in the world.

He wants to live.

And more importantly, he wants to still be there for Yuuki ten years from now.

**XXXXXX**

_Room 406  
><em>_Tatsumi Memorial Hospital_

"I didn't think that you would really come, Shinji." Akihiko greeted Shinjiro the moment that he had walked through the door of the room that his childhood friend had told him about. The silver haired boxer was currently sitting on the lone bed in this room.

Shinjiro grunted, shoving his left hand into his pocket, and using his right to adjust the beanie on his head. "Well, as you can see, I'm still alive," he grunted.

"You definitely are." Akihiko agreed. "We have three new members in SEES now – with all three being juniors. And because Mitsuru had all but ordered me to stay put or else—" The sulky look on Akihiko's face caused Shinjiro's lips to twitch slightly. "One of the juniors had been taking the lead for operations for now, and she's doing an excellent job so far. Mitsuru is talking about letting her lead the group even after I've recovered, if the doctor gives me the all clear today." Akihiko sounded proud as he said that, and Shinjiro felt his heart skip a beat.

He knew just who Akihiko is talking about – Yuuki.

From his conversations with her during that month of September, he knew that Yuuki had first joined SEES around April – when she had just arrived in Iwatodai. And her first battle with a Shadow had been one of those large ones that had knocked her out for a week, and had put her in the hospital. Because Akihiko had gotten his ribs injured by that same Shadow, and Kirijo is mainly used for analyzing at that time, both Aki and Kirijo have then named Yuuki the leader for operations, as she is the only one among the three juniors who had awakened her Persona, and had actually fought them before. And not to mention that she has no difficulties whatsoever in summoning her Persona.

"Hey Shinji, won't you come back?" Akihiko asked suddenly, looking straight into his friend's eyes. "We need your power. And with three additions to our ranks, and then with you, we would be able to get things done smoother that way."

Shinjiro was very much tempted to say yes, and to give Akihiko a heart attack. But it would also be so out of character for him, probably making Akihiko suspicious instead. And besides, he is still uncertain about Castor. Theodore might have told him that what had happened with Amada's mother _won't _happen again, but Shinjiro would rather test it himself than having Castor go berserk on another person.

"Tch. You're annoying. Just how many times must I say 'no' before you get the message?" Shinjiro grunted.

Akihiko opened his mouth to argue, but the door slid opened just then, and a nurse poked her head in. "Sanada-kun? The doctor will see you now."

"Alright," said Akihiko, slipping off the bed that he is sitting on. He then turned to face Shinjiro. "Wait here for me, would you? I still want to talk to you."

"Tch. Whatever. Just don't take too long." Shinjiro grunted as he occupied the same bed that Akihiko had been occupying moments prior, looking bored and disinterested in everything, but was waiting impatiently for Yuuki to arrive with that idiot Junpei and Takeba.

The door slid shut behind Akihiko as he left to see his doctor, and silence fell.

Shinjiro's mind was working furiously. He knew that Yuuki would be here soon, and he seriously doesn't know how he's going to deal with it, and if he is going to break down when he sees her alive and well in front of him. The last time that he had seen her, she had been…

He choked back a straggled sob in his throat as he remembered how cold her body had been, and just how she wouldn't wake up, no matter how many times he had called her. The brunette then shook his head. _'No. I won't let that happen this time. I will save you,' _he promised. _'I will find an alternative method to this Nyx problem that Aki had told me about. There must be one. I won't let you die.'_

The sounds of faint voices beyond the door caused Shinjiro to perk up just then, and he glanced up at the door just in time to see it sliding opened, and the three juniors from SEES were standing at the doorway – just as Shinjiro had remembered it.

He scowled deeply, trying to restrain the bubbling emotions currently rising up in him as he spotted the familiar chestnut hair just behind Junpei's shoulder, with Yuuki being shorter than the boy. The cap-wearing junior seemed nervous, and looked ready to bolt the moment that he had saw Shinjiro, and next to him, Takeba looked scared as well.

"Umm… Is…Akihiko-sempai…?" Junpei trailed off as Shinjiro's scowl deepened even further, trying to avoid looking at Yuuki if he could. He wasn't sure how he would react. The cap-wearing junior looked ready to drop to the ground and die. "…in this room? By any chance?" He finished timidly.

Akihiko's familiar silver hair appeared behind the three juniors just then, looking rather confused at seeing the room so crowded, a black jacket slung over his shoulder as always. "What are all of you guys doing here?" he questioned, entering the room, being followed by the three juniors, and Shinjiro felt a beat skip in his heart as Yuuki came into full view, staring at him curiously.

The brunette man felt his lips twitch slightly. Just like last time, she is the only one who wasn't scared of him upon their first meeting. Even Kirijo was kind of intimidated by him when they have first met, and Junpei looked ready to crap his pants with their first meeting. But not Yuuki. She is the first one that wasn't scared of him.

Shinjiro remembered asking Yuuki once about it during one of their many 'dates' together when they were walking Koromaru. Though it's more like Koromaru running off the moment that they've arrived at Naganaki Shrine, and him having some alone time together with Yuuki.

Yuuki had smiled at him then, and had said that she doesn't find him scary at all. It is more like she felt that he had put up an invisible wall around him, not allowing anyone to get close. At that time, Shinjiro was surprised that she had managed to see right through him in a way that even Aki couldn't. But now, he knew that that is what made Yuuki…well…Yuuki. She always knew just what to say.

"We came to see you." Yuuki chirped, and Akihiko smiled at her, causing a slight flame of jealousy to flare up in Shinjiro.

"I'm just here for a check-up," said Akihiko with a laugh, patting her on the head.

Shinjiro decided that it is the best time for him to leave.

He has no idea that seeing Yuuki again could be so difficult. He was finding it difficult to not just wrap his arms around her, and to kiss her senseless. But he knew that if he ever gave into his emotions right now, he would probably only scare Yuuki away – as to her, he is only a stranger, just her sempai's best friend. At least, it is for now. And not to mention that Aki might punch him into next week if he ever does such a thing.

The silver haired boxer had always been a little over protective of Yuuki, especially when both Shinjiro and Yuuki have started spending a lot more time together. Though it's more like the crimson-eyed girl approaching him, and going for a meal together, or just walking Koromaru together. Simple things, but things that could make Shinjiro relax and feel like a normal teenage boy for once whenever he is with Yuuki.

"Is that it, Aki?" Shinjiro asked, getting up from the bed, trying to avoid looking at that crimson gaze.

"Yeah, thanks," said Akihiko with a smile.

Shinjiro grunted. "Don't be such a hothead the next time," he warned, and Akihiko grinned.

"Don't be a stranger, Shinji," he said.

Shinjiro grunted and walked towards the door, but the familiar scent of spices reaches his nostrils – the same smell that he had always smelt whenever he is with Yuuki, and even though his brain is telling him one thing, his body is reacting differently as Shinjiro turned and faced Yuuki. The chestnut haired girl was staring at him curiously with that innocent look of hers, just standing barely an arm's length away from him, and it was taking Shinjiro everything he could to not just close that distance between them and to hug her.

Just how many nights had he dreamed of this happening? That Yuuki is still alive, and that he could still embrace her.

Shinjiro had broken down in front of her gravestone the first night after her burial in the graveyard, crying for her to come back, and that he'll do anything for her – even wearing those ridiculous outfits that she had gotten as 'armour' many a time from Officer Kurosawa, and that he would cook for her every day, and even tell her 'I love you' as many times as she wished to hear it, as long as she would just come back. It had scared even Aki at that time to see his best friend act like that.

"You…" Shinjiro muttered, staring at Yuuki for a very long time, fighting to not let her name slip out of his mouth. Especially since Aki hadn't exactly told him their names yet… Shinjiro shook his head. "Never mind…"

He quickly walked out of the room and closed the door behind him, breathing heavily, fighting the urge to just walk back into the room where Yuuki is. _'I just have to wait. I just have to be patient,' _he told himself.

He'll wait. He has waited for well over a year for this after all.

He'll wait.

He's good for waiting after all.

* * *

><p><em>AN: So I've gotten some complaints that I've made Shinjiro a little too out of character. My apologies, but during the rooftop scene in the game, Shinjiro seems much more gentle and affectionate to me. Thus, I'm basing his personality on that._

_I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review!_


	3. Trouble at the Back Alley

**Warnings: **Slight violence. Suicidal implications. Lemon scenes.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Persona 3 Portable or any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three: Trouble at the Back Alley<strong>

_June 06, 2009  
><em>_Tatsumi Memorial Hospital_

There was the sound of the privacy curtains being drawn back as the doctor pulled back the curtains before heading towards his desk, making several notes in a file.

Aragaki Shinjiro slid off the examination bed of the doctor's office where he had been lying on moments prior, putting on his black turtleneck shirt, before pulling on his burgundy pea coat, and putting his beanie back onto his head.

"Well, it looks like your body is slowly getting better, Aragaki-kun." The doctor informed Shinjiro, turning towards the surly teen, looking up every now and then from his clipboard. "I can't fathom just why you want to end your life that way by taking those dangerous drugs." The doctor shook his head and muttered something that sounded like 'kids these days'. "But more importantly, I'm glad that you've stopped taking them and decided to seek medical help before it's too late."

Shinjiro said nothing.

In the future, this doctor had been one that Mitsuru and Akihiko have all but dragged him to see after Yuuki's death, as he might have made it through his coma and his near death experience, but it doesn't mean that he has been fully cured from the side effects of the suppressants supplied by Strega.

Last time, it had been Akihiko and Mitsuru who have dragged him to see the doctor, though it had taken Akihiko every ounce of his persuasion powers to convince his best friend to do that. And even then, he had to be the one to personally drag Shinjiro to see the doctor every week, and to ensure that he had taken his prescribed medication, as at that point in time, Shinjiro didn't really care whether he lives or dies. The silver haired boxer had to practically shove the medication down Shinjiro's throat, even by force if necessary.

"Well, you're lucky that you hadn't been taking those drugs for long, thus, the damage done to your inner system is still reversible." The doctor informed Shinjiro. "Just keep taking the prescribed medication, and the poison in your system will soon dissipate itself within a few months. I'll see you back here next week, Aragaki-kun."

Shinjiro nodded and muttered his thanks before heading out of the doctor's office, and the hospital itself. He then looked up into the sky, shielding his eyes from the sun, smiling a small smile to himself.

He can now admit something to himself that he would never admit last time. His life is not just his own now. Back then, he used to think that if should depart from this world, it isn't anybody's business but his own. How wrong was he… Despite being in a coma, he could hear everything that is going on around him, and many a time, he had heard Yuuki crying her eyes out by his bedside, making him feel ten times worse, and making him wish that Takaya had _really _killed him that night.

Shinjiro can understand that now. His life isn't just his own. It belongs to everyone that had ever mattered to him…or _will_ matter to him in the near future. Akihiko. Yuuki. And even the other members of SEES, as much as he refused to admit it.

Those guys aren't the annoying people that he had thought them of when he had first joined SEES. He had started to warm up to them after Yuuki had convinced him to cook for them. Sure, he is a great cook and all, but not even _Akihiko _had ever tasted his cooking, and he had known the guy since early childhood. Yuuki is the first one that had ever eaten his cooking, and it is her look of delight and pleasure that had actually done the convincing back then.

In fact, come to think of it, all the chestnut haired girl would have to do is to just _ask _him, and he would do it. Probably, by that point in time, he would have done anything for her, even moving the mountains if he could.

Shinjiro sighed before deciding to make his way to Paulownia Mall and buy some dog food. He had an old friend to visit.

* * *

><p><em>Afternoon<br>__Naganaki Shrine_

Shinjiro had never told anyone this, not even Yuuki, but way even before he had joined SEES the last time around, and even before Koromaru had joined them, for the longest time, the silver Shiba-Inu had been his closest confidante and friend, sans for perhaps Akihiko. And even then, he didn't really talk to Akihiko about things that he had talked to Koromaru about.

The saying that 'a dog is a man's best friend' probably has some truth to it, now that he thinks about it.

As Shinjiro made his way up the steps of the Naganaki Shrine, a bag of dog food in his hand, he wondered for a moment just why Koromaru had never told Aigis that he had already met Shinjiro _before _both of them have even joined SEES.

The brunette young man then shook his head before emerging onto the shrine. He scanned his eyes around the shrine area before spotting the Shiba-Inu sitting in front of the prayer box, staring at it intently with his crimson red eyes, giving the occasional bark. The dog then turned around the moment that Shinjiro had arrived at Naganaki Shrine, and upon seeing him, the silver Shiba-Inu immediately bounded over to him, barking his little head off, and wagging his tail happily.

Shinjiro chuckled and patted Koromaru on the head who barked happily, pulling at Shinjiro's coat sleeve with his teeth. "Hey boy, been waiting long?" Shinjiro asked, and Koromaru barked again. "I know. I know. Let me go and sit down or something, okay? I brought it for you."

Koromaru barked happily and scampered after Shinjiro as he headed to the bench located in a corner of the shrine, situated not too far away from the playground in here where the elementary school children loves to play at during the weekends.

During one of his conversations with Yuuki, Shinjiro remembered her mentioning that she often visited an elementary school girl at the shrine every Saturday, and a rather sickly young man about a year or two older than her who came to the shrine every Sunday after sneaking out of the hospital.

Koromaru's impatient barks shook Shinjiro out of his thoughts just then, and he looked down only to see the silver Shiba-Inu sitting on his haunches and looking up at him impatiently, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

"Sorry boy," said Shinjiro as he took out one of the deluxe dog food tins that he had bought from Paulownia Mall earlier. He then spread out a few pages of the newspaper onto the ground and opened the tin, emptying the contents of the dog food onto the newspaper. Koromaru barked happily and begun to gobble the food, his tail wagging happily. The brunette young man smiled at the dog. "You know something, Koro-chan? I'm starting to wonder just why Yuuki fell for a guy like me in the first place the last time. After all, I'm just a nobody, and from what I've heard from Takeba and Junpei, and even Fuuka, she's pretty popular in Gekkoukan High, and had boys chasing after her everywhere. Even several of the seniors had their eye on her, from what Akihiko had told me."

_Of course, she turned them all down politely, as she only had eyes for the idiot that I currently see lying in front of me._

Shinjiro could still remember Akihiko's sarcastic words the day after Christmas Day when he had visited Shinjiro after school. The silver haired boxer had told his best friend of how Yuuki had turned down all the offers for dates that she had been given by probably half of the school's population of boys.

Akihiko didn't want his best friend's girlfriend to spend Christmas Eve alone by herself, and had actually invited her to go with him to Paulownia Mall to see the light decorations there, but she had turned him down as well, saying that she had plans. It is only much later that Akihiko had realised that her 'plans' included Yuuki sneaking into Shinjiro's hospital room to keep him company on Christmas Eve, though she had ended up crying her eyes out.

Shinjiro knew that Yuuki is a popular girl. She is bound to be, being so cheerful and kindhearted, even helping the old couple at the bookstore, and that elementary school kid and even that Akinari guy whom he had heard had passed away from his illness when he was still in that coma. Yuuki even spent her evenings talking to that drunken monk, much to Shinjiro's horror when he found out by accident one night when he had ran into her whilst she's making her way back to the dorm from the Club Escapade.

During her funeral, he had seen that French fellow, Bebe or something, crying his eyes out, having flown in straight from France. He had presented an extremely beautiful kimono as an offering, crying that he had wanted to give that to her once he is able to return to Japan. Shinjiro still didn't understand what he had meant by that. Even the straight-laced Hidetoshi from the Student Council nearly broke down at her funeral, and Mitsuru had to take him away in order to calm him down.

Shinjiro frowned. He didn't exactly spend the longest time together with Yuuki, and he was so preoccupied with other things at that time that he didn't exactly had the time to think of other boys being after _his _girl. The brunette growled at the thought of it, and he wondered if he should go back to school after 'meeting' the other members of SEES officially just to keep an eye on Yuuki.

It'll be worth it, and he had already pretty much knew all the stuff that they're teaching at school anyway, as Akihiko had made sure to keep him updated, probably in the hopes that he'll go back to school one day.

Koromaru barked just then, and Shinjiro looked down only to see the dog staring at him pleadingly with those red eyes so much like Yuuki's that it nearly pains Shinjiro to look at the dog for long. "What, done already?" Shinjiro smiled before taking out another can of dog food and emptying it out for Koromaru to enjoy. "I swear that you eat as much as Yuuki."

Yuuki always had a healthy appetite, and Shinjiro was pleased to see that for the first time in a girl. Most girls that he knew were always worrying about their diets and their waistline, and barely ate anything at all. Takeba could work up a pretty decent appetite, but even still, she never ate much unless it's on nights when they have to go to Tartarus.

"I wonder…when did I even start to fall for her…?" Shinjiro whispered, staring up at the blue sky with those fluffy white clouds. He then started to laugh. "Damn… This isn't like me at all. Thinking about the past. Thinking about all the 'what ifs'. I'm not some old man! I can change things." The brunette touched his chest where Takaya had shot him back then. "Aki, I suppose that you're right all along. I was just scared back then because of what had happened with Amada. I have something to live for now, knowing that my life is not just my own. Knowing what I _have _to do. Knowing all these, and living on for the future… Castor…isn't such a pain in the ass anymore." Shinjiro ignored the growl from the Persona in his head. "My power… I no longer have to fear it."

Koromaru barked again, and Shinjiro looked down only to see Koromaru lying down on the ground by his feet. The brunette smirked and scratched the dog behind the ears that he seemed to enjoy. He then reached into his pocket and drew out a small black notebook and a pen.

'_If I can change things like what Theodore had told me, then I can prevent more than Yuuki's death. I can save Kirijo's father from dying. And lots of other things. And if so, I have to plan things out properly.' _Shinjiro thought to himself furiously as he started to write out everything that had happened the last time in the book, even the timelines. He wasn't awake for about half of them naturally, but Akihiko had told him everything after his coma, and he had a vague guess as to when and where those events had actually happened.

Shinjiro reached into his pocket and drew out the leather watch that he had given Yuuki the last time around, and smiled a small smile. "I _will_ save you this time. I will not let you die." He whispered.

**XXXXXX**

_Evening  
><em>_Iwatodai Dorm Lounge_

"Alright, let's get going." Takeba Yukari said, all pumped up.

It had been decided a few nights ago that the three juniors of SEES would be heading to the back alley of Tatsumi Port Island to investigate more about the rumoured ghost story circulating around after the mysterious disappearance of Yamagishi Fuuka, also a potential Persona user.

Junpei looks as if he was about to head to the executioner's, judging by the look on his face. In fact, he would probably rather do his homework and study than head to the back alley. "What's your hurry?" he nearly whined, obviously reluctant to go through with Yukari's crazy idea. "I still think that this is a bad idea." He glanced at Yuuki beside him, obviously hoping that she will agree with him. "I mean, bringing two girls THERE is like wandering into a lion's den with steaks strapped to my face. How can you be afraid of ghosts, but not be scared of this?"

Yukari huffed, obviously not wanting to be reminded of her fear of ghosts. "It's easy to get freaked out by something that you can't see, don'tcha think?"

Junpei slumped over, obviously thinking that this is a _very_ bad idea. How bad exactly however, he had no idea. "Actually, I'm more worried about things I _can_ see, like bats and knives!"

Yukari sighed. "Big deal, so it's a little 'dangerous'," she said. "Come on, it'll be an adventure!" And she headed out of the dorm building.

Junpei groaned. "More like a suicide mission," he muttered.

Yuuki glanced nervously at Junpei, with his apprehension making her nervous as well. She suddenly thinks that this is not such a good idea after all. "You'll protect us, right?" she asked nervously.

"H-Huh?" Junpei was taken aback by this comment, before he grinned. "Hey, you know it! Leave it to me! C'mon, let's go!" And he then jogged out of the dorm after Yukari, before being followed by Yuuki.

* * *

><p>It was nearly seven in the evening when Shinjiro's stomach decided to sound it's displeasure, and the brunette sighed, pulling out his pocket watch and reading the time on it by the light from the light post that he is currently seated under. He had spent all day at the Naganaki Shrine just noting down every single thing that he could remember from the last time.<p>

"Ah man, it's this late already?" he muttered, before taking a quick glance down the notebook where he had been writing in for nearly the entire day, scanning the contents during the month of June. "So they're going to meet Fuuka soon, huh?" He mused. Shinjiro then frowned. _'Wait. Didn't they do something else before going to rescue Fuuka? What was it again?' _Shinjiro tried hard to remember before his memory came back to him, and his eyes widened in horror. _'Shit!'_

He then quickly got to his feet and started to run as fast as he could towards Tatsumi Port Island, praying that he'll make it in time before something bad happens. _'Let me make it in time! And if those punks dares to touch even one hair on Yuuki's head, there'll be Hell to pay!'_

**XXXXXX**

"Urgh!" Junpei let out a grunt of pain as one of the punks that hang around the back alley of Tatsumi Port Island punched him in the stomach, and he crumpled to the ground, cradling his stomach.

"Junpei!" Yukari cried out, falling to her knees beside Junpei to help him.

The other punks then begun walking towards the downed Junpei and Yukari, and upon seeing this, Yuuki immediately stood in between her friends and the punks, intent on protecting her friends, a stubborn look on her face.

"Get outta the way, girlie, and we won't hurt you." One of the punks sneered.

Still, Yuuki didn't budge. "You, hurt me? I doubt that you could even hurt a fly."

"Yuuki, stop agitating them!" Yukari groaned. Her eyes then widened in shock when she saw that same punk from before stepping up close to her friend. "Hey! Get away from Yuuki!"

The punk swung one fist at Yuuki who dodged it with ease, and she kneed the same punk in the stomach whilst avoiding another swing of the fist from the punk's friend. _'Thank you, Tartarus,' _she thought as she kicked the legs out from beneath the second punk, sending him to the ground.

However, the odds are at eight to one, with her seriously outnumbered. Yukari could probably help to even the odds here, but seriously, _Junpei? _Okay, maybe she is a little cruel here.

Yuuki dodged out of the way of another swipe, only to have another one of those punks grabbing her from behind by the arms, with another one grabbing hold of her chin. "You know, now that I look up close at you, you're pretty hot," he sneered, his strong cigarette breath nearly suffocating Yuuki and causing her to choke on it. "Tell you what, babe, I'll let your friends walk out of here unscathed, if you just—"

He never completed his sentence, as Yuuki raised one leg and kneed him in between his legs hard, sending him crumpling to the ground like a sack of potatoes. "Sorry pal, I'm not that desperate for a guy." Yuuki spat, a disgusted look on her face, trying to get out of the hold of the guy who is currently grabbing her. "Let go of me!"

"You sure got some fire in you." The first punk from before stepped up to her. He sneered at Yuuki. "I like women with fire." And he then ripped apart Yuuki's shirt collar, causing the top two buttons to rip and give way, revealing her white lace bra beneath. Junpei who is still reeling from the pain of that punch felt his eyes widening, and felt something dripping from his nose before he quickly looked away.

"Yuuki!" Yukari screamed in horror, knowing what is on the minds of those guys now. "Leave her alone!"

"You bastards, what are you doing to her?" Junpei yelled, still not looking at his best friend.

The punk leered lecherously at Yuuki's defiant face, stroking her chin. "You've got a pretty nice body. How about I show you some fun?" He moved his hand down to the rest of the buttons on Yuuki's shirt.

Yukari's eyes widened in horror. "Yuuki!"

There was a dark blur just then, and Yukari turned just in time only to see a dark figure coming out of nowhere and punching the punk that had held Yuuki in the face. There was the sound of a loud crack as everyone present heard the sound of his nose breaking, and Yuuki nearly stumbled and fell to the ground had her saviour not held her in one arm. A swing of a leg at the punk that had full intention to raping her, and he was down for the count.

Yuuki blinked in slight confusion as there was a swish of fabric, and she then realised that someone had put their coat on over her, covering her up. Aragaki Shinjiro was standing there, a particularly dangerous look on his face.

"I didn't know that you people are so desperate for a girl that you'll take to trying to rape one now." Shinjiro hissed, a look of pure anger and hatred on his face. "If you're so desperate for some, go to a brothel or something. They'll happily indulge you, I'm sure."

Yukari and Yuuki both blushed heavily at Shinjiro's words, with the latter tightening Shinjiro's coat around herself. The punks on the other hand looked half-embarrassed half-furious at Shinjiro's words.

"Who the hell do you think you are, dumbass? Stay out of our business!" The punk whom Shinjiro had kicked to the ground lunged a punch at him that was easily dodged, and he head butted the punk, knocking him backwards.

The punk breathed heavily, already nursing several bruises. "Shit…" He spat out a single tooth. "You just crossed the line! You think you're going home alive?"

"Say that again to my face, I dare you." Shinjiro threatened, cracking his knuckles together.

The punks looked hesitant. They apparently didn't want to mess with an angry Shinjiro who currently looked mad enough to kill.

Unknown to them however, Shinjiro _is _mad enough to just let Castor out and let his Persona have his way with them. He had prayed the entire way here that Yuuki will be all right, and when he had heard Takeba's scream not even half a mile away from the back alley, he had put on an extra burst of speed, and arrived only to see the punk from earlier attempting to force himself on _his _girl.

Very few things can make Shinjiro _very _furious, and that guy had just made it to his list. And before the brunette even knew what he is doing, he had found himself practically knocking all these guys to the ground.

"Uh… S-Screw this!"

The punk with the broken nose cradled his face, glaring at Shinjiro. "Damn you, Aragaki…" he snarled, sounding a little funny because of his broken nose. "Aragaki Shinjiro! That's right… You're from Gekkou High too, aren't ya?"

"I'll remember this! You had better grow eyes in the back of your head!" One of the other punks howled before all of them ran away, leaving the three SEES juniors and Shinjiro behind in the back alley.

A very long silence fell before Shinjiro turned towards a pale faced Yuuki. "Are you alright?" he asked gently, and Yuuki looked up at him and nodded.

"Thank you for helping us," said Yukari gratefully, putting one arm around a shaking Yuuki.

Shinjiro then frowned at them. "What do you idiots think that you're doing here in the first place? This place isn't for you! Get out of here! What do you think would have happened if I hadn't came by?"

"We came here for a reason!" Yukari blurted out.

Shinjiro stared at Yukari for such a long time that she felt uncomfortable. "For that ghost story business?" he asked at long last.

Yukari looked surprised and hesitant at that. "Um, yeah…" she said, nodding her head. "How'd you know about that?"

Shinjiro sighed, scratching his hair beneath his beanie with one hand. "It's a rumour," he explained. "Those girls who wound up in the hospital were here talkin' shit every night about all the things that they'd done to some girl called Fuuka."

"Fuuka?" Junpei echoed. "You mean Yamagishi Fuuka from 2-E? They were picking on her?"

"That's why people are saying that it's Fuuka's spirit that did it." Shinjiro said.

"Fuuka's spirit?" Yukari echoed in confusion, her head cocked to one side. "Wait, what do you mean by that?"

Shinjiro raised a brow. "You mean you guys didn't know?" he questioned, though he already _knew _that they didn't know. "This Fuuka girl might be dead. She hasn't been home in over a week."

"Are you serious?" Junpei gaped in disbelief. "I thought that she was out sick. But she's missing?"

Yuuki turned towards Yukari, a frown on her face, seemingly having slowly gotten over her fright from earlier. "Yukari, the homeroom teacher for 2-E is Ekoda-sensei, right? Does he know about this?"

"I don't know," said Yukari, a confused look on her face.

Shinjiro sighed. "Anyway, that's all I know. Satisfied?" he asked.

Yuuki bowed to Shinjiro. "Thank you very much," she said, and Shinjiro felt butterflies in his stomach at that, and blushed slightly. Thankfully, due to the dim light in the back alley, none of the three juniors saw that. "This…" She tugged at the coat wrapped around her, and Shinjiro placed one hand on Yuuki's hand.

All three juniors stared at Shinjiro at that, and he quickly drew his hand back from Yuuki. "Sorry." Shinjiro coughed nervously. "You can keep it for now. A girl shouldn't be walking back at night with a torn shirt after all. You can give it back to me whenever you see me." He turned a stern glare at Yukari and Junpei who both 'eeped'. "Just don't come back here again, you hear me?" He ordered.

He then left.

* * *

><p><em>AN: So anyway, do you wish for Shinjiro to return to Gekkoukan High after rejoining SEES? And to answer a few questions, yes, he will be joining them on their trip to Yakushima. I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review!_


	4. Knight in Shining Armour

**Warnings: **Slight violence. Suicidal implications. Lemon scenes.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Persona 3 Portable or any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four: Knight in Shining Armour<strong>

_June 08, 2009  
><em>_Naganaki Shrine_

Hariyama Yuuki was gone from the school even before Yukari and Junpei could stop her, making a beeline straight to the Naganaki Shrine, deciding to skip some of her club activities for that day.

The chestnut haired girl had been worried about the elementary school kid that she had been visiting for awhile. The last time that she had seen Maiko, the girl had been literally bawling her eyes out, and was talking about running away from home. Yuuki glanced down at the school satchel by her side, with the coat that that Shinjiro guy had loaned her that fateful night resting among her books.

She still shivered, recalling what had _nearly _happened that night at the back alley.

True, Yuuki had survived this long on her own, and she knew just how people could be, but that night is actually the first time that she had actually came close to being violated. Akihiko and Mitsuru were both _not _pleased when they heard what the three juniors have been up to, and Akihiko had given Yukari the most severe talking to that she had actually heard. Yukari had taken it all in her stride however, feeling guilty that it is because of her that Yuuki had nearly gotten raped.

Akihiko had acted quite funny after Yuuki had told him that Shinjiro had saved them from those punks in the back alley. And when she had asked him where she could find Shinjiro, he had told her to try the Hakagure ramen restaurant at the Iwatodai Station, stating that that is where the brunette young man usually hangs out at. The silver haired boxer had also told her that he used to hang out at the back alley, but approximately a month ago, he had stopped hanging around there so much.

It had been nearly two days since that fateful night, and Yuuki had practically combed the entire town for the mysterious senior, but still couldn't find him. Thus, she had taken to carrying around the burgundy pea coat that he had loaned her, in the hopes of returning it to him once she ran into him.

Yuuki had washed the coat by herself the night after the back alley incident, but still, that wash didn't seem to have the ability to wash Shinjiro's scent off from the coat. The brunette senior seems to have a faint scent of spices and cooking oil around him. A rather strange kind of smell for a guy, but somehow, Yuuki feels that it suits him.

"Maiko? Are you here?" Yuuki called out, glancing around the shrine, hoping to see the small elementary school girl, but to no avail.

The chestnut haired girl then frowned, hoping that Maiko didn't do anything foolish. Something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention just then, and she turned only to see the mysterious senior from that night sitting on the bench that Akinari had always occupied every Sunday whenever she came to see him, only just dressed in his black turtleneck shirt and pants. The brunette looked up, almost as if feeling Yuuki's gaze on him, and he flushed lightly, immediately putting away the black notebook that he had been writing in, tucking it into his pants' pocket.

"Hello," said Yuuki with a smile, approaching Shinjiro who grunted and mumbled something that she assumed was a greeting. "Thank you for your help the other day. Here is your coat. I've also washed it for you." And she handed the pea coat to Shinjiro who stared at her for a long while before taking it.

"You can sit down if you wish." Shinjiro muttered, wishing that his heart could stop beating so fast.

Yuuki did so by flopping down next to him, swinging her legs slightly. "I heard from Sanada-sempai that you go to our school too, but I've never seen you there," said Yuuki curiously, cocking her head to one side. "And I've never heard your name come up as well. I'm in the Student Council; Mitsuru-sempai asked me to join back in April." Yuuki added in answer to Shinjiro's unasked question. "Hidetoshi-kun tends to be quite harsh on those students who played truant, and he'll even go to their houses to drag them to school. The names of those students often came up during Student Council meetings, but I've never heard him mention your name."

"Tch. The teachers probably gave up on getting me to attend school." Shinjiro grunted, pulling on his coat, and buttoning it up. He never really did feel right without his coat. Rather like Yuuki who is never seen without those hairpins of hers and her music player, Shinjiro is never seen without his coat and beanie. "I made it to third year only because Aki and Kirijo made me sit for the finals back in junior year. But I never attend class, and it's been such a long time since I've last attended school."

"Why?" Yuuki asked curiously. "And the teachers are okay with it, Aragaki-sempai?"

"They've probably long given up on me attending school again, though it is only due to Kirijo's influence that my name is still on the school's register of students." Shinjiro grunted, slumping in his seat.

That is true in a way, as the Kirijo Group built the school, and as such, is a major shareholder. Mitsuru had used every ounce of her influence to still keep Shinjiro in school, as much like Akihiko, she had still harboured some hope for him returning to school.

"Hmm…" Yuuki mused, staring at Shinjiro for a long time with those red eyes of hers that Shinjiro felt quite uncomfortable. "I bet that Junpei will simply love to be you." She giggled. "He practically slept all day in class, and he'll probably never get out of bed in the mornings if Mitsuru-sempai didn't make him."

Shinjiro cracked a small smile. That sounds just like Junpei all right.

"Ah! You smiled!" Yuuki chirped. "This is the first time that I've ever seen you smile! You look nicer when you do that." She peered closer at him, and Shinjiro leaned as far back as he could go, feeling a tad bit uncomfortable at having his personal space invaded so suddenly. Even more so if it's Yuuki. It's currently taking him everything that he could to not jump her right then and now. "You're not really as scary as everyone make you out to be, are you, Aragaki-sempai? You're really nice and kind."

Shinjiro's eyes widened a slight fraction.

_You're not really as scary as you want everyone to believe, are you? Sempai is a kind person. I know that. You worry about the others, made us eat our food right, and you worry about me. Sempai is a nice person. You're really nice and kind._

Shinjiro chuckled inwardly. _'Heh. She never changes,' _he thought, looking at Yuuki. _'Then and now, it doesn't matter. She is still the same old Yuuki. I'm falling for her all over again.'_

"I wonder," said Shinjiro with a slight smile at Yuuki. "Tell me something; is Aki doing okay?"

"'Aki'?" Yuuki echoed before Shinjiro's words rang a bell in her head. "Oh! Sanada-sempai? He's doing fine! After the doctor had given him the all clear, he is enthusiastic about training again!"

Shinjiro smirked. That sounds just like Aki. "And getting all cut up in Tartarus again, I'm sure," he snorted, and he bit back a smile of amusement as Yuuki nearly jumped in fright at his words, and looked at him in slight fear.

"T-Tartarus?" Yuuki stuttered. "How do you know about that?"

"Don't look so surprised." Shinjiro interrupted. "I used to be in SEES as well. In fact, Aki, Kirijo and I made up the original SEES squad before you and your friends came along."

"But Sanada-sempai, Mitsuru-sempai and Ikutsuki-san had never mentioned you before!" Yuuki said, surprised, and Shinjiro had to fight to _not _let his feelings over Ikutsuki show on his face.

He knew that Yuuki had always been very sharp and intuitive, and particularly sensitive to people's feelings. She always seemed to know when and what to say, and what to do. Shinjiro knew that there is a reason why Mitsuru had chosen Yuuki as SEES's leader, and Shinjiro suspects that it probably has to do with this.

"I…left about two years ago," said Shinjiro hesitantly, not willing to go into details about _why _he had left. Thankfully, Yuuki never pushed further. "Aki has been pestering me ever since, trying to get me to return."

"You have a Persona then?" Yuuki asked with interest, and Shinjiro nodded. "What's it called?"

"Castor," said Shinjiro, not feeling uncomfortable talking about Castor for the first time. "It's strengths lies in physical attacks, and there isn't any known weaknesses that I know of."

"Hmm…" Yuuki looked at Shinjiro with her crimson eyes. "If you ever return to SEES again, you'll make a great addition. Why wouldn't you return, Aragaki-sempai?"

"Well, I have my reasons." Shinjiro coughed. "Also, drop it with that '-sempai' shit. I ain't your sempai. I hadn't gone back to school for who knows how long. Stop with that formality. It gives me the creeps."

"Then what should I call you?" Yuuki asked, her head cocked to one side.

"Shinji," said Shinjiro, a light flush on his cheeks. It is the name that he only allows Akihiko and Yuuki to call him back then. "Shinji is fine."

"I can't do that!" Yuuki protested. She then blushed, looking away. "T-Then is 'Shinjiro-sempai' all right? I can't stop calling you '-sempai', and just addressing you by your name seems strange." She mumbled.

Shinjiro smirked. That had been Yuuki's first initial reaction as well back then when he had asked her to call him by his name when they have been walking Koromaru. The only time when she had called him 'Shinji' had been the night when they have both made love to each other.

"Whatever makes you feel better, I guess," said Shinjiro. _'Though I'll make you call me by my name soon enough.'_

"It's this late already?" Yuuki glanced at her watch before turning back towards Shinjiro. "Sorry, I have to go. I had some fun today. We should do this again someday."

"Yeah." Shinjiro said with a smile as he watched the chestnut haired girl ran off. He then sighed and reached into his pocket, drawing out the small notebook that he had written the timeline in, and flipped it opened, reading the events that had occurred during the month of June.

'_So it's tonight, huh?' _He mused, closing the notebook with a light snap. _'Maybe I should take this chance to rejoin SEES. I can control Castor with no problem now. I didn't imagine that it's something as simple as just strengthening my resolve, and having something to live for.' _Shinjiro then frowned. Well, Personas _are _the embodiment of the soul after all. _'The poison had mostly been flushed out of my system, and Aki won't freak out if he finds out, though I'll probably still get a punch from him or two.' _Shinjiro frowned, remembering just how hard his childhood friend can punch. He had nearly lost a tooth the time when Akihiko had punched him after learning that he had been taking Strega's drugs the last time. _'And the sooner that I rejoin SEES, the better. I can keep an eye on Yuuki and Ikutsuki that way.'_

Shinjiro glanced up at the skies only to see that it's slowly darkening. _'Tonight,' _he mused.

**XXXXXX**

_Dark Hour  
><em>_Entrance to Tartarus_

"Ugh… Uh…" Mitsuru panted, sweat dripping from her forehead, her Evoker in one hand.

Next to her, Yukari wasn't all that much better as well.

It had all begun so well at first.

SEES had agreed to break into the school that night to try to find Yamagishi Fuuka the same way that she had entered Tartarus. Yuuki had taken Akihiko and Junpei with her, and all three have entered the gym room, and have waited there until midnight when the Dark Hour had begun.

Mitsuru and Yukari have then both waited at the entrance to Tartarus, though with the junior feeling a tad bit worried, as their connection with the other three is breaking up. And all of a sudden, two enormous Shadows have entered Tartarus from the outside, similar to the Shadows that they have encountered during the attack back in April on the dorm, and when they have entered the train a month ago.

Yukari glared up at the two towering Shadows who both seemed rather determined to make them their dinner for that night. "Oh hell no! I'm _not _letting you make me your dinner for tonight!" Yukari growled as she pointed her Evoker at her temple and pressed the trigger. "Io, Garula!"

The two Arcana Shadows of Emperor and Empress fell down from Yukari's attack, but got back up again, not seemingly affected by her attack at all, and Yukari growled. "What's going on? Nothing's working!"

There was a sudden flash of light from the teleporter behind Mitsuru just then, and both girls turned just in time only to see the three SEES members, along with an additional addition of a pale-faced girl whom Yukari can only assume is Yamagishi Fuuka arriving on the scene. "Sempai—" Yukari had to dodge out of the way of Emperor's attack who had grown tired of waiting.

Akihiko gasped upon seeing the two large towering Shadows. "Mitsuru!" he called out to the redhead.

Fuuka looked scared upon the sight of the two large Shadows whilst Junpei and Yuuki both readied their weapons and Evokers. "What in the world…?" Fuuka gasped at the sight of something that had only existed in fantasy novels. "This must be some kind of bad dream…"

"Unfortunately, it's very much real," said Yuuki grimly, tightening her grip on her naginata.

Junpei narrowed his eyes and turned towards Akihiko. "Sanada-sempai! We gotta distract those Shadows somehow!"

"I know that!" Akihiko snapped. He then turned towards the nearest Shadow. "Hey! If it's a fight you want, we'll give it to you!" He tightened the gloves on his hands. The two Shadows readied their attacks in response. "They're coming!"

"Be careful! Normal attacks won't work on these Shadows!" Mitsuru shouted, trying to catch back her breath.

Yuuki frowned. "They're coming!"

And just as SEES were about to engage the two Shadows in battle, there was the sound of a low creak, and the doors to Tartarus swung opened. Natsuki entered, her eyes unfocused, and seemingly in some sort of trance.

"F-Fuuka…" Natsuki whispered.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Yuuki snapped. She is normally a very patient and cheerful girl. But even there is a limit to her tolerance, and the limit had just been reached; with Akihiko coming to a conclusion about the large Shadows and the full moon earlier, and with all of Pharos' strange warnings of late.

"Watch out!"

* * *

><p>There was the sound of a loud explosion somewhere in the direction of Tartarus as Shinjiro urged himself to speed up, with the world blanketed in the familiar eerie green glow of the Dark Hour – the hidden hour.<p>

"Damn! Am I too late?" He wondered, putting on an extra burst of speed, concentrating as he did so in order to reach Castor.

Shinjiro had found out that he could summon Castor without an Evoker about a month back when he was trying to control his Persona. He is able to summon Castor without his Evoker that is currently back with Akihiko, but it takes up a lot more energy and stamina than it usually does to summon his Persona using one. But at this point in time, he can't really afford to be picky.

"Please let me make it in time…"

* * *

><p>"Oh man, you've got to be kidding…!" Yuuki groaned as she dodged a magic attack launched by Empress, and had to twist her body in several different ways in order to dodge a follow-up attack by Emperor.<p>

And just what are the rest of SEES doing? Tending to a downed Mitsuru, with Fuuka _still _communicating with her newly discovered Persona, Lucia.

"Hello! Some help here would be very much appreciated…if it _isn't _too much trouble!" Yuuki screamed as she narrowly dodged a fireball launched from the Empress, and rolled out of the way of the Emperor's attack.

At her scream, all of SEES looked up, even Fuuka, whose Lucia had just finished it's necessary introduction into it's abilities and skills. "Shit!" Akihiko cursed upon seeing that the two large Shadows had Yuuki cornered, and the chestnut haired girl isn't looking exactly that great as it is, with wounds covering her from head to toe, and with Yuuki looking as if she is on her last legs. The silver haired boxer grabbed his Evoker, but even he knew that he would never make it in time.

"No! Yuuki!" Yukari screamed in fear.

"Castor! Fatal End!"

A new voice roared out just then, and a new Persona appeared, looking rather like that of an armoured man with long blonde hair sitting on a black horse. Yuuki passed out just then from exhaustion, only to be caught in the arms of none other than Aragaki Shinjiro himself.

"Shinji…?" Akihiko blinked, wondering if his eyes are playing tricks on him as he saw his best friend.

The Empress that had been the Shadow nearest to Yuuki, and thus, had been the first one that Shinjiro had targeted went down immediately with Castor's attack, thus obliterating to pieces. Shinjiro breathed heavily as he adjusted his hold on Yuuki in his arms.

Fuuka called out to the members of SEES just then. "Guys! The Emperor is weak against magical attacks, but he is immune to physical attacks! Finish him off!"

"Magical attacks, huh? That's right up my alley!" Yukari grinned before she pointed her Evoker at her head and summoned Io once more. "Io, Garula!"

Akihiko followed Yukari's example by summoning his Persona as well. "Polydeuces, Ziodyne!"

The two attacks from Akihiko and Yukari respectively hit the Emperor simultaneously, with the Emperor disappearing in a bright flash of light, shattering like glass. A very long silence fell after that, and the SEES members sighed in relief. Akihiko and Yukari then both ran over to Shinjiro who is still holding Yuuki.

"Yuuki!" Yukari called out in concern.

"Don't worry, she's just fainted from exhaustion." Shinjiro reassured the worried junior.

Yukari looked relieved at that, but Akihiko was looking at his best friend as if he can't believe his eyes that Shinjiro is there. "Shinji? What are you doing here?" he asked carefully.

"I saw that girl heading towards Tartarus, and I got a little worried." Shinjiro lied, jerking his thumb towards Natsuki who seemed to be staring at Fuuka in disbelief as the latter walked over to her on shaky legs after having dismissed her Persona.

"A-Are you alright?"

Natsuki nodded her head. "Yeah…"

"Thank goodness…" Fuuka smiled in relief before slumping over to the ground, unconscious. Natsuki caught Fuuka just before she could hit the floor, and panicked when she saw that Fuuka isn't moving.

"Fuuka?"

"It's alright, she's just exhausted." Mitsuru reassured Natsuki who burst into tears upon hearing that.

"Um, what are we going to do?" Yukari asked nervously. "About Natsuki." She glanced at the girl in mention. "She saw everything. The Dark Hour and the Shadows."

"That girl is not like us. She doesn't have the potential, so she probably won't remember any of it." Shinjiro grunted. "But I'm surprised that she is able to move about during the Dark Hour though." He muttered, glancing at Natsuki.

"Won't remember? Do you mean that she'll forget that Fuuka saved her life?" Yukari asked, and Shinjiro nodded. Yukari frowned. "That doesn't seem fair."

"Actually, I don't think that it'll matter," said Mitsuru with a secret smile, glancing at Natsuki who is crying over Fuuka, apologizing over and over again. The redhead senior then smiled, turning back towards Yukari. "I think that she's learned her lesson."

Shinjiro sighed before glancing at Mitsuru. "Then we can get down to why I'm actually here," he said briskly, glancing at Mitsuru. "Kirijo, is my room still available?" Mitsuru raised a brow but nodded. "Good. But I hope that you had at least kept it clean even when I'm not occupying it. And I need my Evoker back."

Akihiko gasped. "Shinji, does this means that…?" He trailed off hopefully, and Shinjiro smirked and nodded.

"Yeah. You can stop your nagging now. I'm coming back," said Shinjiro, getting to his feet, and lifting Yuuki in his arms. "We should get going now. The Dark Hour is about to end. I'll take her back to the dorm, so you should hurry and get back as well."

"Yeah, we should do that. Akihiko, take Yamagishi and Moriyama to the hospital. They both need to rest. The rest of us will go back to the dorm, and I'll prepare Aragaki's room for him as well." Mitsuru ordered.

Shinjiro waited until the rest of SEES had left Tartarus, though he didn't like that look on that idiot Junpei's face as he eyed Shinjiro carrying Yuuki, and Yukari was staring on curiously, but said nothing. The brunette then turned to stare at the glowing blue door that _definitely _wasn't here the last time that he was in Tartarus.

"What the hell is that?" Shinjiro frowned.

"It's been awhile." A voice rang out, and Shinjiro almost jumped as Theodore stepped out of the door. "It looks like you had been adjusting well, Aragaki Shinjiro." Theodore gestured towards the door. "Like Yuuki-sama, you are the only one able to see the entrance to the Velvet Room apart from her now."

"Velvet Room?" Shinjiro frowned, wondering what on earth is that.

"A place that only the Wild Cards can enter to fulfill their destiny." Theodore smiled sadly at the girl in Shinjiro's arms. "I see that you've been progressing well. But like what I've said before; do be very careful. Time travel is a tricky thing."

"I know," said Shinjiro with a sigh. "I just have a question: does Yuuki knows about me being from the past, or future in this sense?" Theodore shook his head. "I see. Keep it that way. Don't tell her anything about this." Shinjiro stated before turning to leave Tartarus before the Dark Hour ends.

"Aragaki Shinjiro." Theodore called out, and Shinjiro stopped in his tracks. "Just remember one thing. Your life isn't just your own. If anything happens to you, it will hurt Yuuki-sama as well. Keeping yourself safe and healthy is also the best way to help Yuuki-sama."

"Don't worry. I don't plan on dying anytime soon."

**XXXXXX**

_The Next Morning  
><em>_Gekkoukan High School_

In classroom 3-B of Gekkoukan High School, Akihiko was nearly dozing off as his teacher drone on and on. This unfortunately always happens to nearly all members of SEES the day after a major operation, or when they've gone to Tartarus. Thankfully, there are always a few members among them that could somehow manage to keep awake despite all that.

The silver haired boxer was jolted awake as the classroom door slid opened, and the entire class fell silent. Even the teacher who was explaining something about the Edo era paused, the textbook in one hand as he stared in disbelief at the sight of the student standing at the entrance of the classroom.

Akihiko stared as well.

He hadn't seen his best friend since this morning, but had assumed that Shinjiro was merely catching up on his sleep, as he simply can't remember when is the last time that he had seen Shinjiro sleeping in an actual bed. Cleaning Shinjiro's room took only a matter of hours for them, with Akihiko dragging Junpei to help as Shinjiro took Yuuki to her room, something that he is quite uncomfortable with. With the two years that the room had been left vacant, a large amount of dust had been left lying in there, that it is not until nearly three in the morning before they were finally able to go to sleep.

So this explains just why Shinjiro was nowhere to be seen as the SEES members set off for school that morning, with Yuuki looking a little paler than normal, but otherwise seems to be fine.

Dressed in the Gekkoukan High School uniform, only with his blazer left opened, and his tie hanging loosely around the collar, with the collar at the neck left opened, Aragaki Shinjiro grunted, for once having left his beanie off, his school bag tucked under one arm.

"Sorry that I'm late," he grunted.

Akihiko can only stare.

Okay, this is officially turning out to be the weirdest day in all his life.


	5. True Desire

**Warnings: **Slight violence. Suicidal implications. Lemon scenes.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Persona 3 Portable or any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five: True Desire<strong>

_June 11, 2009  
><em>_Classroom 2-F, Gekkoukan High School_

"I wonder how Fuuka is doing." Yukari said after school that day, chewing on her bottom lip nervously. "It's been three days since then. The rumours about the ghost story had all but died down now. I mean, it's a good thing, but I'm still worried about her."

"About that, I heard from Sanada-sempai earlier that Fuuka is being released from the hospital." Yuuki added, waving the cellphone in her hand about. "I forgot to tell you, as I've just received the message awhile back."

"Really?" Yukari beamed. "That's good! We can talk to her tonight once we get back."

"Hey, why don't we go to the arcade today?" Junpei interrupted, cutting in the middle of the girls' conversation. "It's been awhile since we've went anyway, with all that recent stuff with the Shadows and the Dark Hour."

Yuuki had an apologetic look on her face at that, looking half sheepish. "Erm… I'm sorry, but—"

The door to their classroom opened just then, and all three juniors turned around just then only to see a very grumpy Aragaki Shinjiro stepping in, his school bag slung across his chest. Unlike his 'unofficial' first day of school however, he now had his beanie on his head.

The teachers didn't really say anything about it, as they don't really care what he wears to school as long as he put on the proper school uniform and came to class. Though from Yuuki's conversations with Hidetoshi, she knew that the prim and proper Disciplinary Committee member had a lot to say about it.

"Hariyama, are you ready?" Shinjiro grunted, glaring around the classroom, and the few students that are still left flinched and looked away quickly from the senior.

Apparently, Shinjiro's rather dubious reputation is rather well known around the school. Akihiko couldn't be any happier about his best friend returning to school and SEES. Shinjiro's school grades and attendance set aside, he now had a real live human shield against his unwanted fangirls, as just one glare from Shinjiro is enough to send them packing.

"H-Hai!" Yuuki squeaked before turning back towards Yukari and Junpei who both looked rather bewildered. "S-Sorry! I already have plans for today. I'll see you back at the dorm. Bye!"

And she then turned to leave the classroom with Shinjiro, the door closing shut behind them as they did so. A very long bewildered silence reigned upon the classroom after that. Junpei was the first one to break the silence.

"What are we, chopped liver?" Junpei muttered. "And when she said that she got 'plans', does Yuuki-tan means with Aragaki-sempai? We barely hang out with her after school as it is, with the number of clubs that she'd joined!"

"I wonder…" Yukari mused, staring at the closed door of the classroom where her best friend and the newest member of SEES have both disappeared. Shinjiro had proved himself to be a capable fighter, easily one of the best in the team, when Yuuki had taken him up to Tartarus with her the previous day, also taking Yukari and Akihiko with her. The brunette girl was amazed at Shinjiro's strength, as he almost seems fearless, and rather similar to Yuuki, he fought with his Persona as if they were of one single mind. "I wonder if Aragaki-sempai…likes Yuuki?"

So far, apart from Akihiko, Yukari had only ever seen Shinjiro taking the initiative to talk to Yuuki. And during the night when they have fought the two Shadows, she had seen the look on the senior's face when he was carrying Yuuki. He seems unusually concerned for her, for someone who barely knew Yuuki apart from their brief encounter in the hospital, and then in the back alley.

Junpei chuckled. "No way!" he said, picking up his bag. "Well, I'm going to go hit the arcade and play a few rounds before heading back to the dorm. See you later, Yuka-tan!"

* * *

><p><em>Back Alley<br>__Port Island Station_

The few punks that loiter around the back alley of the Port Island Station looked up in interest with a feral look in their eyes as Yuuki and Shinjiro both entered, recognising the Gekkoukan High School uniforms that they were wearing. It only took a few moments before the majority of them recognised Shinjiro in his beanie, with the ever eternal scowl on his face, his hands stuffed into his pockets, before they quickly left.

Yuuki laughed in amusement at seeing the punks ran out of there like a bat out of Hell. "No one will come near if you're here, Shinjiro-sempai," she said, smiling, and Shinjiro grunted, his lips twitching with amusement.

It is really by chance that Shinjiro found out where Yuuki goes every single day after school after her club activities, and even on days when she don't have club activities. She tends to go and feed a black and white kitten that tends to stay around the back alley of the Port Island Station. The moment that Shinjiro had found out, he had insisted on going with her, as he knew of the reputation of the back alley. Even during the daytime, that place is _never _safe.

"Miki?" Yuuki called out, kneeling down to the ground and taking out a can of the Premium Cat Food that she had bought. It only took a few moments before a soft 'mew' reaches the ears of the two high school students, and a small black and white kitten padded out slowly towards Yuuki from behind a crate in the corner.

The kitten mewed pitifully as he nosed Yuuki's outstretched hand, licking at her palm before eating the cat food that Yuuki had emptied onto a newspaper sheet spread out on the ground. The kitten purred as he ate it with all the gracefulness that all felines used when eating. Yuuki laughed at the kitten, and Shinjiro looked on with a smile.

He always did like animals, though this is the first time that he had actually seen Yuuki feeding this kitten. Back then, he had heard from Aigis on one occasion about Yuuki helping an old woman to find her lost cat, with the chestnut haired girl seeming to know just where said cat is.

"Shall we go?" Shinjiro asked, glancing at the sky only to see that it's nearly sunset. "Kirijo asked us all to head back to the dorms early tonight, as we'll be talking to Yamagishi."

Yuuki patted the purring kitten on the head before getting to her feet and nodding. "Okay."

**XXXXXX**

_Command Room  
><em>_Iwatodai Dorm_

Everyone was seated in the command room of the dormitory where SEES tends to hold their strategy meetings and talks regarding the Dark Hour and the Shadows. Mitsuru had brought Fuuka back with her about ten minutes ago, and now, everyone was seated on the couches, looking at a pale and nervous looking Fuuka who definitely looks better than how she had looked like three days ago.

The three juniors were occupying a couch together, with Akihiko sitting on a single couch by himself, Shinjiro sitting on the armrest of the couch that the silver haired boxer was occupying, the eternal scowl planted on his face as usual, arms crossed over his chest. Mitsuru and Ikutsuki were both seated together on another couch, whilst Fuuka was occupying the last one, looking extremely nervous at having everyone stare at her like this, twisting the fabric of her shirt together in her hands – which Shinjiro knew was Fuuka's habit whenever she was nervous or terrified.

Ikutsuki cleared his throat. "Everyone, you did an excellent job uncovering the truth," he said. "I also wanted to let you know that the three girls have all regained consciousness."

Fuuka sighed in relief, one hand at her chest. "What a relief…"

"From what I understand, they each came to school around midnight and waited for the security guard to leave." Ikutsuki explained. "They were then attacked by Shadows near the gate, as the Dark Hour began. However, the facts became twisted because of rumours concerning a ghost story."

"I knew right from the beginning that it wasn't a ghost!" said Yukari defensively, sounding more like she's trying to convince herself rather than others. Yuuki snickered next to her, and the brunette girl turned to glare at her best friend.

"It's all my fault." Fuuka mumbled, looking down at her hands that were clenched into fists around the fabric of her shirt.

"Huh? Are you kidding? You were the victim!" said Yukari, an incredulous look on her face.

"But I made so many people worry…" Fuuka mumbled.

Yukari sighed. "Hey, don't think like that."

"We could have lost that fight if you weren't there." Mitsuru said reasonably. "You saved our lives. You should feel good about yourself. You have a special power that you can use to help others."

"That's right." Yuuki piped in, entering the conversation. "Well, I don't really remember what happened after I'd passed out, but if it weren't for you, I would probably have died." Yuuki then frowned slightly to herself as Fuuka gave a small shy smile at the chestnut haired girl. "Come to think of it, what _did _happen after I passed out?"

Junpei grinned slyly at Shinjiro who was glaring at him, Akihiko snickering next to his best friend. "Oh, we sure _do_ remember what happened after that!" he grinned.

"Huh?"

Mitsuru coughed to interrupt the rather…interesting conversation currently taking place among the juniors. "Yes, thank you, Iori," she said rather hastily. "As I was saying, Yamagishi, you have a special power."

Fuuka blinked slowly. "Special power…?" she echoed.

Shinjiro grunted. "You should have seen it, or rather, _experienced _it yourself on that night as well," he said, and Fuuka's eyes widened as she remembered what had happened that night. "I see that you've remembered."

"We call it 'Persona'." Mitsuru explained. "You could be a tremendous help to us. Will you lend us your strength?"

Fuuka tilted her head to one side in slight confusion. "Are you asking me to join you?" she asked.

"That's correct," said Mitsuru with a nod.

"I think that you'd made a good addition to the team too." Akihiko added. "That night proves it."

"Your skills will indeed be of great help to us." Yuuki added her input. "We got lucky that night. If both you and Aragaki-sempai hadn't been there, we would either be seriously injured or worse." Fuuka blushed at Yuuki's words.

"You know, we're not trying to pressure you or anything," said Yukari hastily. "So if you need some time to think about it—"

"I'll do it!" Fuuka blurted out, her eyes full of determination. "I'll help you!"

"H-Huh? That was fast…" Yukari muttered, taken aback. "Are you sure? If you join, you'll have to live here and everything…"

"That's fine. I'd rather live here than at home anyway…" Fuuka muttered, looking away from the others, seemingly quite uncomfortable with the topic.

Shinjiro sighed to himself at that. He had never thought much about this before, as when he'd just rejoined SEES back then, he was way too preoccupied with his own issues with Strega, Castor, the pills, as well as his own conflicting feelings surrounding both Yuuki and Ken at that time. But come to think of it, all the members of SEES didn't have very happy family backgrounds, or they have _certain _issues with their own family. That probably explains just why they're such a tightly knit group, and almost seems like a family, though Yuuki often has to drag Shinjiro to eat dinner together with them.

"We really appreciate this," said Mitsuru quickly, seeing Junpei about to open his mouth. "We'll have the school talk to your parents to resolve any issues."

Fuuka inclined her head towards Mitsuru. "Thank you," she said politely.

"Wait a moment. Aren't we dragging her into this a bit too fast?" Yukari protested.

"Um, it's okay, really." Fuuka said hesitantly. "I mean…it'll be nice to have two other girls in my grade around too." She muttered.

"Welcome aboard." Yuuki smiled at Fuuka.

"Thank you." Fuuka blushed.

"Now then… Those special Shadows showed up again." Ikutsuki coughed. "We still don't know where they're coming from. "But Akihiko is right about one thing. Their appearances seem to coincide with the full moon. We'll take that into consideration from now on."

Shinjiro frowned to himself as he eyed Ikutsuki carefully. It was so slight that he wouldn't have been able to notice it if he hadn't been watching the Chairman, but he could see the lips of the Chairman tilt slightly in a devious smirk for just a moment. He has to admit, that man is a master manipulator. No one at SEES had even suspected anything about him until it is too late.

Junpei chuckled. "So they're kinda like werewolves then, huh?" he joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Everyone ignored him.

"It's a big advantage for us to know when to expect them." Akihiko stated thoughtfully. "Now on the day of the fight, we'll be ready to get into the ring."

Shinjiro sighed in dismay. "Aki, that also means that those Shadows will be way stronger than those that we've been fighting," he pointed out. "We can't be too reckless, or it'll be a repeat of the other day."

* * *

><p><em>Fuuka's Room<br>__Iwatodai Dorm_

"I wonder if it's like this for Yukari and the others when they were preparing for my arrival." Yuuki muttered as she dusted at the thick layers of dust coating the furniture in the room that they're currently preparing for Fuuka's arrival.

Yukari had gone to get some cleaning supplies from the nearby hardware store, as they're clean out, seeing as how SEES rarely cooks anyway, mostly preferring to eat out, or just having some instant noodles. Mitsuru and Akihiko have both decided to walk Fuuka back, as it is getting late, and Junpei had bolted the moment that he had heard the words 'clean', thus leaving only Yuuki and Shinjiro the only ones cleaning the room.

"Well, most of the rooms have been mostly left untouched, as this dorm is mostly used for the residences for the members of SEES." Shinjiro answered, dusting the bookshelf in the room, knowing quite well that Fuuka will most probably add her own touch to her room, just like every single one of them. This is probably the only advantage at living in this dorm, as unlike other dorms, the members living in the SEES's dorms get to have their own rooms.

"Ouch!"

Shinjiro turned around instantly at the loud pained yelp that Yuuki had given out, somehow managing to hit herself in the head with the duster that she had in her hand. "What's wrong?" he asked, walking over to the chestnut haired girl who was rubbing her forehead.

"I-It's nothing. I just hit myself in the head, that's all." Yuuki stuttered, feeling quite uncomfortable all of a sudden at having Shinjiro standing so close to her.

"Let me see that!" Shinjiro ordered, removing Yuuki's hand away from her forehead, and pushing away the hair covering her forehead only to see a bruise beneath. He raised an eyebrow. This sure doesn't look recent… "Have you injured yourself lately?" He asked, puzzled.

Yuuki blushed. "I…got hit by a tennis ball in the head when training with Rio the other day," she muttered, looking very embarrassed.

Shinjiro shook his head, trying hard not to laugh. "You're supposed to hit the ball, _not _get hit by it," he said sarcastically, rubbing the bruise gently, and blowing on it. "Once we're done cleaning, come with me. You need some ice on that swelling."

"R-Right." Yuuki mumbled, looking away from Shinjiro uncomfortably.

Shinjiro nearly smiled at this. He is falling for Yuuki all over again.

**XXXXXX**

_June 20, 2009  
><em>_Iwatodai Dorm_

"Koro-chan, give me your paw!"

"Woof!" A rather familiar silver Shiba-Inu barked happily and placed his paw onto Fuuka's outstretched hand.

"Oooh, he did it!" Yukari crooned. "What a smart dog!"

Mitsuru had dropped by their classroom earlier that day to ask them to return to the dorm early, and both Yukari and Yuuki have done so, though Shinjiro had joined them as well, puzzling Yukari some. Come to think of it, both Shinjiro and Yuuki have been spending a lot of time together of late, even when they're at the dorm. Junpei had been cracking all kinds of jokes about them that are enough to make Fuuka blush red enough to match a tomato.

Koromaru spotted Shinjiro just then, and with a happy bark, he bounded over to Shinjiro happily, pressing against the senior's leg and barking happily, licking Shinjiro's hand. The brunette patted the dog. "Hello, Koromaru," he said. "Long time no see."

"He seems to like you a lot, sempai." Yuuki noticed.

"His name's Koromaru." Fuuka told them. "I've seen him sitting by the steps of the shrine."

"Oh… This dog still goes on walks all by himself?" A woman who seemed to be in her late thirties walked past them just then, staring at Shinjiro weirdly who seemed to be getting worshipped by Koromaru for some reason. And then again, who could blame her? Shinjiro doesn't exactly look like the gentlest person in the world.

Yukari cocked her head to one side in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"He used to belong to the priest at the Naganaki Shrine." The woman explained. "Every afternoon, the two of them went this way for a walk."

"That explains it…" Fuuka mused.

"Well, until the priest passed away."

Fuuka blinked. "He passed away…?" she echoed.

It was the woman's turn to stare. "Oh, you haven't heard the story? It was about six months ago. The priest was hit by a car while walking his dog. He didn't survive. Ever since then, that dog sits patiently by the site of the accident. And he goes for a walk everyday, just like when his owner was still alive." She glanced at her watch and gasped. "Oh shoot! I have to get going! My son will be back soon!" The woman then scurried off.

"Woof! Woof! Woof!" Koromaru seems full of energy as he bounded around Shinjiro, almost as if trying to get the senior to play with him.

Yukari laughed. "Aragaki-sempai, Koro-chan seems to like you," she giggled.

Shinjiro grunted, pulling his beanie down over his eyes to hide his blush. "I guess."

"Isn't the Chairman coming today?" Fuuka asked suddenly. "We should go get ready."

"Yeah," said Yukari with a sigh. "See you later, Koro-chan. Come on, Yuuki."

"Yeah." Yuuki nodded as she followed the two girls into the dorm.

Shinjiro then knelt down to Koromaru's eye level and patted his head. The dog barked excitedly. "We'll see each other again," he whispered. "I'm rather looking forward to the day when you join us."

Koromaru looked at Shinjiro with confusion. "Arf?"

**XXXXXX**

_July 07, 2009  
><em>_Dark Hour, Command Room_

Shinjiro grunted as he entered the command room only to see everyone in SEES present. Fuuka had summoned her Persona Lucia, and is currently scanning the area with her ability. It was another full moon that night after all, and everyone has been practically treading on eggshells as the days neared the full moon night, especially as The Lost have been appearing more frequently of late. Though unlike the previous times, this time, they have been appearing in pairs.

And this is one Shadow that Shinjiro wasn't too clear about, as he had been rather preoccupied with Strega and their strange 'activities' the last time around, and whenever he had tried to ask Akihiko when he had rejoined SEES the last time, his best friend seems unusually tightlipped about this matter. And it might have been Shinjiro's imagination, but he could have sworn that he saw his best friend blushing whenever he had asked, and he wondered what had happened with that Shadow.

"How is it?" Shinjiro asked, stepping next to Akihiko.

"Yamagishi is still scanning." Akihiko told him.

"I found it!" Fuuka announced suddenly. "I sense a strong presence!"

"Hey, we were right!" Junpei said, surprised.

"Or so it would seem." Ikutsuki nodded.

"It's located in Iwatodai…" said Fuuka, concentrating hard in order to pinpoint the exact location of the Shadow that they've been searching for. "…inside a building on Shirakawa Boulevard."

Shinjiro twitched visibly at the mention of that place that he kept hearing about when he was still living out on the streets. Those girls that were _far _from virgins and revealing far too much skin for his liking kept talking about 'Shirakawa Boulevard' this, and 'Shirakawa Boulevard' that. He knew what that place is, and judging by the faint blush on Akihiko's cheeks, he knew as well.

"Hmm, Shirakawa Boulevard…" Ikutsuki mused thoughtfully, one finger tapping at his chin. "They've been finding The Lost in pairs lately. Now I understand why."

"In pairs…" Mitsuru mused before realisation dawned on her, and she made a disgusted face. "Oh, I get it."

Fuuka dismissed Lucia just then, and turned towards the rest of SEES in slight confusion, as the looks on their faces confused her. It ranged from disgust (Mitsuru and Yukari), embarrassment (Akihiko), neutral, though with a faint blush on their cheeks (Shinjiro and Yuuki), to a perverted look (Junpei).

"Ano… What's on Shirakawa Boulevard?" Fuuka asked curiously. "I'm not too familiar with that area."

An awkward silence fell among the SEES members. Akihiko was blushing so red that it looks as if he was about to die from embarrassment. Yukari was the first one to break the uneasy silence, a faint blush on her cheeks.

"I've heard about it, but…" Yukari trailed off, sweat dropping.

"That's where all _those _hotels are." Junpei supplied the information helpfully; information that no one in the room seemed willing to supply Fuuka with, a perverted grin on his face. "That explains a lot! You've heard about 'em, right, Fuuka? Where people go to…ya know…?"

Fuuka blushed, finally getting what Junpei had meant. "Oh…"

Shinjiro sighed. "And just how do you know so much about them? You been there before, Iori?" he questioned sarcastically.

Junpei paled at seeing the glare shot at him by Yukari. "Uh…no?"

Yukari glared at Junpei before sighing. "Ugh, you have the dirtiest mind."

"Nonsense, they're no different from ordinary hotels." Ikutsuki cut in rather cheerfully. "The rooms are just a bit fancier, that's all."

"Aw man, that's it?" Junpei seemed almost disappointed.

"I don't know about this." Yukari sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't go."

Junpei laughed. "You're just like a little kid, Yuka-tan."

Yukari flushed. "Wh-Whatever! Fine. Let's go. But this time, I want a piece of the action!" She glared at Junpei. "So who's gonna take the lead?"

"Hariyama." Mitsuru stated, turning towards Yuuki who seemed rather amused at Yukari and Junpei's banter. "I don't see any reason to change leaders now. And Yamagishi, I want you to handle support during the operation."

"I'll do my best!" Fuuka chirped, pleased to be depended upon.

Shinjiro grunted, heaving his axe and resting it against his shoulder. "Alright. Let's do this," he grunted.

**XXXXXX**

_Hotel Champs de Fleurs  
><em>_Shirakawa Boulevard_

"That's it?" Akihiko asked, almost disappointed as the Shadow was wiped out by a combination of attacks by the members of SEES.

"Well, isn't it better if we didn't have too much problems?" Yukari asked.

Fuuka spoke through Lucia once more. "Good job," she said. "You succeeded once again. I'll be waiting outside for you."

"Well, let's go back," said Yuuki, turning towards the door and tugging on it. It wouldn't budge. "Huh?" She raised a brow, tugging at the door once more. "Is it locked?"

"Let me try that, Yuuki," said Shinjiro absently, not realising that he had addressed Yuuki by her first name without a suffix in front of both his underclassmen (including Fuuka who could hear and see everything), as well as Mitsuru AND Akihiko – both seniors who have a brow raised at the sudden closeness. Yuuki scooted over obediently, and Shinjiro tugged at the door with a frown. "It's budged shut. Something seems to be holding it shut." He informed the others.

Fuuka sounded a tad bit panicked just then. "I still sense a Shadow in that room! It's not the same one that you've defeated! But… Where is it hiding?" She wondered.

"You know, something has been bothering me about this mirror for some time now," said Yukari with a frown, standing in front of the mirror in the room. "Is it just me, or is there something strange about it?" Yuuki walked over to the mirror as well and examined it with a frown before she smashed it with her naginata. "What the—?"

A sudden bright white light surrounded the entire room just then.

"What the…?" Shinjiro muttered in surprise, covering his eyes to block out the blinding light. His mind started to feel sluggish, with his eyelids threatening to droop. _'No… Can't sleep…' _He fought to stay awake, but was failing miserably. Just vaguely, he could hear the sounds of the other SEES members dropping as well, and he soon joined them in Slumber Land.

* * *

><p><em>Room 101<br>__Hotel Champs de Fleurs_

The hot water ran off Shinjiro's bare back as he turned off the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist. For a moment, he frowned, feeling as if he was forgetting something very important. Something kept nudging him in the back of his mind, but a very small voice whispered that it isn't important right now.

Shinjiro then shrugged before stepping out of the bathroom, the hot steam from the shower steaming out as he did so. His mind is starting to fog up again, but Shinjiro ignored it. His focus is on the girl sitting on the cushy bed in the room, seemingly waiting for him, her eyes unfocused.

Half of the buttons on her blouse were left unbuttoned, revealing the white lacy bra that she wore underneath, with the black skirt that she is wearing pulled down slightly, revealing skin. The girl's eyes were unfocused and dazed as she turned towards Shinjiro.

"Shinjiro…-sempai?" she called out.

Shinjiro crossed the room in a few steps before pushing the chestnut haired girl onto the bed, arching over her as he did so, both hands by the side of her head. He slid one hand up her bare thigh, and she squeaked in surprise as he did so, causing Shinjiro's lips to curl in amusement.

"You're ready, aren't you?" he asked her, lust in his eyes as he eyed the girl beneath him. "I don't want to lose you again…" His words slurred.

Don't want to lose her again…

Don't want to lose her…

…again…?

What is he doing again?

His mind is starting to clear up, and Shinjiro's eyes nearly bulged out of it's sockets when he suddenly found himself leaning over a heavily blushing Yuuki, with both of them just one step away from being naked.

"U-Um, sempai?" Yuuki muttered weakly. "Do you think you could…?" Her eyes trailed down his half naked body before she blushed heavily and averted her eyes away quickly. "P-Put your clothes on!"

"U-Uh… C-Clothes… R-Right…" Shinjiro blushed red before disappearing back into the bathroom. "I-I'll be just a minute."

Fuuka's voice echoed throughout the room just then as Shinjiro was pulling on his clothes. "Oh, I can finally reach you!" She sounded relieved. "Can you two hear me?"

Yuuki's voice sounded nervous and embarrassed from outside as she answered. "Y-Yeah, I can hear you."

"I'm sorry I couldn't contact you sooner." Fuuka apologized. "The Shadow was interfering with your thoughts, and you all got separated. The enemy is still in the same room. Please regroup there. Aragaki-sempai, can you hear me?"

"Y-Yeah, I heard you!" Shinjiro grunted as he stepped out of the bathroom only to see a still embarrassed Yuuki who is thankfully, now fully dressed.

Fuuka sounded confused as she spoke again. "Um… Did something happen?"

"_Nothing!" _Both Shinjiro and Yuuki snapped together, sounding highly defensive as they did so. Shinjiro would rather die than have anyone find out what had just transpired in the room the past few minutes. He was mortified to realise that he had nearly lost control back with Yuuki. She must be pretty freaked out by having him nearly force himself on her.

Shinjiro felt a tug on his sleeve just then, and he looked down only to see Yuuki looking up at him timidly, still with a blush staining her cheeks. "S-Should we go? Fuuka said that the others are on the second floor."

"Y-Yeah…" Shinjiro muttered before he tagged along after the chestnut haired girl who is walking faster than necessary.

Akihiko, Mitsuru, Junpei and Yukari were all waiting for them at the entrance to the stairway on the second floor as both Shinjiro and Yuuki appeared. Akihiko looked very relieved when he saw them, and ran up to them.

"Are you both alright?" he asked.

"Y-Yeah." Shinjiro grunted.

"Um, we're fine." Yuuki muttered. "By the way, just out of curiosity, what happened to you guys?" She asked, her voice losing the quaver.

"_Nothing!" _Mitsuru instantly denied, a blush covering her cheeks.

"_Nothing _happened, okay?" Yukari snapped, over defensive, glaring at Junpei who whimpered beneath her venomous glare. "Come on, let's get this over with!"

* * *

><p>After breaking the mirrors that didn't show any reflections, SEES returned back to the room where they've battled the Shadow earlier, only to find it in there, seemingly waiting for them. Shinjiro felt his blood boil as he eyed the Shadow, recalling what had just transpired earlier… Sure, he still loves Yuuki and wanted her, but not in <em>that <em>way, and definitely _not _against her will!

"How dare you pull shit like that with us?" Shinjiro growled, readying his axe, and he felt Castor rumble in his mind, responding to his mood. "I hope that you're ready to die!"

"I hadn't been this pissed off for a long time now." Yukari muttered darkly. "Get ready to meet your maker!"

* * *

><p><em>Entrance<br>__Hotel Champs de Fleurs_

"I'm glad that you're all safe." Fuuka sighed in relief.

"Thanks for your help. The enemy was sly, but you did well." Mitsuru praised Fuuka who blushed.

"I did what I could."

"Alright, let's call it a night," said Akihiko. "Let's all head back and rest."

"Seconded!" Yukari pumped a fist in the air.

Yuuki sighed tiredly. "I've never been so happy to hear the word 'rest' before in my life," she muttered.

Shinjiro turned his eyes towards the top of some random building across Shirakawa Boulevard, staring at it for a long time before a shout from Junpei caught his attention. "Aragaki-sempai, we're leaving. Are you coming?"

"Yeah." Shinjiro grunted before pulling his beanie down and following the juniors. _'Strega… So they're going to start moving again. I still have to pay that Takaya back for what he'd done. This time, it won't end like how it did the last time.'_


	6. Hidden Feelings

**Warnings: **Slight violence. Suicidal implications. Lemon scenes.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Persona 3 Portable or any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six: Hidden Feelings<strong>

_July 13, 2009  
><em>_Gekkoukan High School_

"We're finally done!" Yuuki sighed in relief, stretching as she walked out of the Student Council room. It had been another long day at the Student Council, with her mainly handling paperwork, that it is near sunset by the time that she could leave. "Huh?" Yuuki blinked as she spotted a familiar figure wearing a black beanie leaning against the wall outside the Student Council room. "Shinjiro-sempai? You're still here?"

Shinjiro grunted. "I…fell asleep on the roof, and didn't wake up until a few minutes earlier." He sounded embarrassed as he said this. "Want to go home together?"

Yuuki smiled and nodded. "Sure. I want to talk to you more."

Shinjiro blushed lightly, but nodded, as the two left the school grounds together. The few students that were still around, probably for some club activities, stared as the both of them left the school. Shinjiro sighed to himself as he saw this. There will probably be some rumours going around the school by the end of the week, if he knew anything about how the rumour mill in the school actually works.

"So I heard some of the girls in my class talking crap about you," said Shinjiro, breaking the silence, and turning towards Yuuki who looked at him curiously. "They said something about you seeing Aki when you're already dating Junpei." He barely managed to keep the jealousy out of his voice, despite knowing that both boys are more like brothers to Yuuki.

Yuuki nearly groaned. "Oh god, not this again…" she muttered, barely managing to keep the irritation out of her voice. Shinjiro raised an eyebrow. "It's not like you, sempai, to listen to rumours though." Yuuki teased. "Sanada-sempai just asked me out to Hagakure Ramen the other day, and we ran into some of his fangirls. Apparently, they've got the idea that Junpei and I are dating."

Shinjiro blinked. "You mean… You both aren't?"

Yuuki frowned. "Hell no!" she stated. "Junpei is a good guy, and he is sweet too. But I just can't see him as boyfriend material. He's kind of like my brother, a best friend. Just like Yukari and Fuuka. I heard from Junpei that Kenji and some of the guys in our class are badgering him for some 'dating advice' as well." She shuddered. "I hope for their sakes that they don't take his 'advice' seriously."

Shinjiro chuckled. Like everyone else in SEES, he knew that he always had to take Junpei's words with a pinch of salt.

By this time, they've reached the entrance of the dorm, and Yuuki pushed opened the doors of the dorm, announcing their arrivals. "We're back."

The rest of SEES were gathered in the lounge like how they did every night before some of them retires back to their rooms to do some homework. But unlike all the previous times, on that night, the atmosphere seems a little…tense. Especially after what Mitsuru had revealed regarding the Dark Hour, the Shadow experimentation, the incident from ten years ago, and about the Kirijo Group the other day. Yukari, as hot headed as ever, didn't take it too well apparently, and she hadn't said a word to Mitsuru ever since.

Fuuka who had her laptop on her lap as usual glanced up. "Oh, welcome back—" She blinked as she saw both Yuuki and Shinjiro entering the dorm together. "Erm… You both came back together?" When Fuuka saw a faint blush on Yuuki's cheeks, she smiled. "Well, I guess it's really none of my business."

Yuuki dropped herself in the couch next to Yukari who smiled at her best friend weakly before returning her attention back to some book that she had in her hand. Junpei who was on the opposite couch was reading a magazine that looks suspiciously like that of a _Playboy _magazine. Mitsuru and Akihiko were both sitting at the table, doing some studying, and Shinjiro went towards the table to join them, glancing occasionally at Yuuki who was talking in low tones with Yukari, trying to cheer her up. Yukari seemed appreciative of her efforts, as she is smiling.

"Shinji." Akihiko nodded to Shinjiro as he pulled out a chair next to the boxer and sat down in it. "You came back with Hariyama?" Shinjiro grunted. Silence fell for several moments; with the atmosphere being so tense that one could literally slice through it with a knife. Even Akihiko, being as dense as he was, finally noticed the tense atmosphere and looked up. "What's wrong, everyone?" He asked in confusion, looking from the seniors' side to the juniors. "Are you hungry?"

Yukari bit on her bottom lip. "N-Not really…" she muttered.

An awkward silence fills the room, and Yuuki looked desperately at Fuuka and Junpei. Her silent message was clear: 'do something about this tense atmosphere!'

Fuuka chuckled nervously, trying to break the tense atmosphere. "Umm… Y-You know, it's almost summer break," she said weakly. "Do you have any plans?"

"Not really, but I'm probably going to look for a summer job or something if I don't have anything special planned." Yuuki shrugged. "You know, saving up for college and all? And probably studying."

Akihiko and Shinjiro exchanged looks with each other. They knew what it's like if you're all alone by yourself with no family. You practically have to depend on yourself for nearly every single thing, even supporting yourself through school.

Junpei had a disgusted look on his face at the mention of summer jobs and exams. "Urgh… Summer jobs and studying? This is summer vacation that we're talking about, dude! We're supposed to _re~lax!"_

Yukari sighed. _"Everyday _is relax for you, Stupei." She took a dig at him. "Tell me, when is the last time that you've actually studied?"

Junpei grinned. "I wish that I could go to the beach for summer break. Hot sand, cool breeze…babes in bikinis…" He is nearly drooling at the thought of it. "Man, it sure would be nice! Somewhere in the south, where the water is crystal clear!" He then sighed. "But first, we have exams to worry about… Ugh, what a drag…"

Fuuka giggled. "Now. Now. You'll be fine," she reassured Junpei.

"Junpei? Fine?" Yuuki joked. "I'll be amazed if he can even somehow miraculously manage to pass!"

"Hey!"

"Seconded!" Yukari giggled, and the two girls high fived each other. "But Stupei has a good idea for once." She sighed. "The beach, huh? I wonder when is the last time when I've actually went to a beach…"

"Yeah." Fuuka nodded. "I'd love to go somewhere famous for its beautiful beaches, like Okinawa."

The doors to the dorm opened just then, and Ikutsuki walked in. "Well, it's not Okinawa, but how about Yakushima?" he suggested.

Mitsuru glanced around as Ikutsuki entered the dorm. "Chairman, I didn't realise that you were here."

Ikutsuki smiled. "Well, I happened to be in the area, so I thought I'd drop by and tell you my schedule for next week," he said. "Kirijo-kun, your father will be vacationing in Yakushima during the break."

Mitsuru stared on with surprise. "He will…?" she echoed.

Ikutsuki nodded. "You'll all have some time off after the exams, right? Why don't you go and pay him a surprise visit?"

Shinjiro glanced at Ikutsuki suspiciously. _'What is he planning now?'_

Junpei grinned. "Seriously? We're gonna go on a trip? YES! Beach babes, here I come!" He cheered.

Yukari had a disgusted look on her face at that, and sighed. "Men."

Fuuka and Yuuki both giggled, and Shinjiro chuckled silently to himself.

"How about it, Kirijo-kun?" Ikutsuki asked.

"But my father is a busy man. I don't want to ruin his vacation," said Mitsuru hesitantly.

Ikutsuki chuckled. "Don't worry about it. No father would be upset with a daughter who came all that way to see him," he said. "You've all done a great job. You deserve to relax for awhile. We already know when the next operation will be, so it should be fine."

Mitsuru still looked uncertain. "I…don't know…"

"YAKUSHIMAAA!" Yuuki cheered.

"Sempai, I'm beggin' ya!" Junpei pleaded, practically getting down on his hands and knees.

Mitsuru bit on her bottom lip before smiling. "…Alright. I guess everyone needs a break now and then. Let's do it."

"Woohoo!"

"Hmm, the beach… I should design a special training regime." Akihiko mused to himself, and Shinjiro sighed.

"Is that all you think about?" he muttered in disbelief.

"I have to go buy a swimsuit…" Fuuka muttered to herself.

"Hey, don't worry! I got an extra pair you can borrow!" Junpei grinned, and Yuuki threw the cushion next to her at Junpei's head that nailed him neatly in the face. "Ow!"

"Pervert!" Yuuki huffed, and Yukari laughed.

"Nice shot!"

Akihiko chuckled. "Nice try, man."

**XXXXXX**

_July 18, 2009  
><em>_Gekkoukan High School_

"I'm done, baaaby! The dark days of testing are finally over! The sun is shining bright!" Junpei cheered.

"So how did you do?" Yukari asked.

"Hey, check it out! I aced PE!"

Yukari sighed. "Well, that pretty much answers the question," she muttered, and Yuuki laughed.

"Psh, a real man doesn't dwell on the past. I'm thinking ahead to Yakushima!"

"Oh yeah, that's coming up soon, isn't it?" Yukari asked. "Are you ready?"

"Totally!" Yuuki beamed. "I need to buy a swimsuit."

Yukari laughed. "Yeah, I need to get one too. Maybe we can go shopping together with Fuuka later."

"Need some help?" The grin on Junpei's face was almost perverted, probably imagining just how the girls would look like in swimsuits. A book nailed Junpei's face almost instantly.

"Idiot!" Yukari hissed, a faint blush on her cheeks, and Yuuki laughed. "Let's go."

As the trio walked out of the school, they heard Ikutsuki's voice.

"Adolescence is such a wonderful thing! So full of vibrancy!"

Yukari turned in surprise. "Chairman…!"

"What are you doing here?" Yuuki asked in bewilderment, even as Akihiko and Shinjiro stepped out of the school building just then, with the two boys looking quite surprised to see the three juniors there with Ikutsuki.

"What is going on here?" Akihiko asked in surprise.

Ikutsuki smiled. "Oh hello. You two are just in time. I just stopped by to pick someone up. I might as well introduce you to him now."

A boy with brown hair, and who still looked to be in elementary school stood by Ikutsuki's side. He had on an orange hoodie with a Gekkoukan jacket over it, and black shorts. The little boy seemed quite intimidated with all the high schoolers surrounding him, and smiled shyly.

"Hello."

Akihiko looked on with shock, and Shinjiro looks as if someone had just punched all the air out of him. Yuuki looked at the two seniors with curiosity and back to the little boy, wondering if something had happened between them. But this kid doesn't seem to know them in the least.

Yukari smiled at the boy. "Oh, hi, Ken-kun. What's up?"

Akihiko looked surprised. "You know him?"

"He doesn't leave during the break because of his…circumstances." Ikutsuki explained.

"Oh, I heard about that…" Yukari looked pained. "Something about his parents…"

Yuuki looked pained at that, and Shinjiro's eyes darkened, with Akihiko looking quite worried.

"It was only me and my mom, but she got in an accident." Ken explained. He then looked away, biting on his bottom lip. Shinjiro looked as if he had just swallowed a lemon. An extremely _sour _lemon. "And…she died. It happened two years ago."

Yukari looked guilty at that. "I'm sorry."

"Right now, one of his distant relatives is paying for his school expenses." Ikutsuki explained. "But staying at the elementary school dorm all by himself isn't proper for a child his age. So I decided to move him to your dorm for the summer."

Akihiko looked as if he was about to suffer from a heart attack at Ikutsuki's statement, and Yukari looked shocked.

"To _our _dorm?" Yukari echoed. "Do you really think that's a good idea?"

"Why, of course," said Ikutsuki with a smile. "He has the potential."

"Potential?" Akihiko echoed. "Then he's the new candidate?"

Ikutsuki nodded. "Yes. But as you can see, he's still just an elementary school student. So it is merely a possibility for now."

Shinjiro looked pained at that, and Ken looked at Akihiko with adoring eyes.

"Are you…Sanada-sempai?"

"Um…yeah…"

"I've heard a lot about you," said Ken, with stars almost shining in his eyes, and Akihiko resisted the urge to take a step backwards from the boy, since his 'fangirls are near' senses are tingling. "You haven't lost a boxing match yet. It's a real honour to meet you!"

Akihiko coughed. "Yeah well… It's nice to meet you."

"Well, I'll take Ken-kun back to the elementary school dorm. There are still several paperwork to be done before Ken-kun can be moved to the dorm," said Ikutsuki cheerfully. "You guys should get ready for the Yakushima trip too. Aragaki-kun, you're coming too, I assume?"

All eyes were on Shinjiro at that, and he grunted, pulling his beanie down to cover his eyes. "…yeah," he muttered. He _was _planning to go when Ikutsuki had made the suggestion, but somehow, Yuuki had actually 'persuaded' him to go when they were having lunch after school at Hagakure the other day.

"Well, let's go back," said Yukari with a sigh.

One by one, the others left for the dorm, but before Yuuki can move, Shinjiro grabbed her hand, stopping her in her tracks. The chestnut haired girl turned to look up at him with a curious look, and Shinjiro blushed before letting go of her hand. "Sorry. But can you come with me for a moment?" he asked. "I have something to tell you."

* * *

><p><em>Back Alley<br>__Tatsumi Port Island_

For once, the back alley is void of all people as both Shinjiro and Yuuki walked in, with the latter looking quite curious. Shinjiro looked around silently as he entered, his hands stuffed into his pockets, thinking deeply.

He knew that now that Ken had been introduced to the SEES members, it would probably only take a matter of time before he formally joined them, and he would have to tell Ken the truth someday. But before he told Ken, he wanted Yuuki to learn the truth from him, not from a secondary source.

"Why did you bring me here, Shinjiro-sempai?" Yuuki asked Shinjiro curiously, even as the latter stopped at a certain area in the back alley.

Shinjiro didn't say anything for several moments before he sighed. "It is here," he said, and Yuuki raised a curious brow. "Come to think of it, this place held most of my more memorable moments – both good and bad." Yuuki stared blankly, not understanding what he meant. "It is here where I told you, Takeba and Iori about Fuuka. I often came here with you to feed that kitten as well. And…" Shinjiro sighed. "It is also here where I…killed Amada's mother."

Yuuki's eyes widened. "What…do you mean by that?" she asked.

Shinjiro sighed and turned to face Yuuki. "Do you remember? You've asked me once why I left SEES," he said, and Yuuki nodded. "The original SEES was made up of me, Aki and Kirijo. But before me and Aki, it only consists of Kirijo, though SEES doesn't even exist back then. Kirijo and Ikutsuki recruited Aki back when we were still in middle school. I was worried about that idiot back then, and practically camped outside the SEES dorm for nights before Kirijo finally relented to let me join them. It was a dangerous time for us then, as we didn't understand anything, and just spend night after night fighting the Shadows, though we've never entered Tartarus even once then."

Shinjiro fell silent then, staring at a spot on the ground, almost like he could still see the lifeless body of the woman from back then, her blank eyes staring at him, almost as if asking him accusingly why he had taken her life. The brunette almost jumped when he felt a hand touching his arm, and turned only to see Yuuki, smiling at him, telling him with her eyes alone that she trusted him.

"Two years ago, something happened," said Shinjiro, continuing his story. "At that time, we were chasing an unusual Shadow that had escaped into the city. The Shadow led us into the residential area, but none of us were thinking about that. The Shadow was all that is on our minds." He glanced at Yuuki. "I won't make excuses here. But I admit that at that time, we thought ourselves invincible. I had just awakened Castor at that time, and he isn't a Persona that is easy to control. It only just took a moment. Just that one moment, when I had a lapse in concentration. I…lost control of Castor momentarily, and he…" Shinjiro gulped.

"…went berserk." Yuuki ended his sentence, and Shinjiro nodded, glancing fearfully at Yuuki, almost afraid of what he will see on the face of the chestnut haired girl. He saw no disgust, fear, or even hatred. Just understanding.

"I managed to regain back control of Castor almost immediately, but there was a casualty. That person was Amada's mother." Shinjiro continued his story, and Yuuki's eyes widened, suddenly understanding Akihiko and Shinjiro's weird behaviour earlier. "Officially, the records stated that his mother died in an accident, but the truth is, I was the one who had murdered her."

"That's why you left SEES after that, and refused to use your Persona." Yuuki whispered, suddenly understanding everything.

Shinjiro nodded. "For two years, I kept running," he said. "I even went as far as to take suicidal pills in order to control my Persona. But I guess I just got tired of it all one day. I got tired of running away. Then Aki told me about you and your friends, and when I met you, you gave me the feeling that you believed in the road that you were walking on, and that you believed in the future. And I can't believe that it just took the power in believing and mere trust just to control Castor." He turned to face Yuuki. "I want you to hear this from me instead of from someone else, as I have to tell Amada the truth if he ever decides to join SEES. Then, if he ever decides to kill me or something…"

Shinjiro was taken aback when he felt a hand resting on his cheek, and looked down only to see Yuuki resting her hand against his cheek, smiling a small smile at him. "It isn't your fault," she said. "You've said it yourself; it was an accident. You didn't want it to happen. Besides, you yourself said that you had your Persona under control now. It won't happen again. I've seen you fight. You would willingly give your life to save someone else's in half a heartbeat. No matter what the students in our school believe, I know this. You are kind. Sempai won't hurt anyone. I trust you."

Shinjiro stared at Yuuki for a long time. How is it that she always had this ability to see through him like this? This happened back then as well, when she could break down every single one of his walls, and reach to him. She is also the only one who could make him smile again, as he had all but stopped after killing Amada's mother by mistake.

Yuuki was taken aback when Shinjiro embraced her in a tight hug, bringing her close to his body. He pressed his nose to her hair, taking in the familiar scent of the lilac shampoo that Yuuki always uses.

"Thank you," he muttered in her ear. "I guess… I just needed to hear this."

_The resolution in Shinjiro's heart has awakened a Persona! Castor has given rise to Sandalphon!_

Yuuki stiffened at being in such close contact with Shinjiro all of a sudden before she relaxed in his hold and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his chest, as the senior is taller than her by about a head and a half.

"You have a nice smell about you. Of spices and cooking oil, I think." Yuuki muttered.

Shinjiro snickered. "A guy is touching you, and that is all that you can say?" he said, releasing his hold on Yuuki, and she blushed. "But you smell nice as well." He sighed. "If truth be told, I'm all confused. I don't even understand anything. I can even think straight, and anything that I do feel seems illogical. You're…like a drug to me. You're so intoxicating that I can't help but want to be with you, to spend more time with you. You're all that I can think of, day and night. You're the first one that I think of the moment that I wake up, and the last one that I think about before I go to sleep. I even see you in my dreams. This isn't how it is supposed to be!" Yuuki's eyes widened as Shinjiro caressed her cheek, looking straight into her eyes. "This is all your fault, you know? You're the one making me feel like this. You're the one driving me crazy like this."

And before Yuuki could say anything, he pressed his lips against hers, shoving his tongue in almost immediately, savouring her taste. Almost as soon as it had begun, Shinjiro drew back again, grabbing onto her shoulders.

"I love you." Shinjiro stated. "I don't know how much more time I had left before Amada finds out everything, and if he will decide to kill me, but…" He trailed off. "All I know is that I want to be near you. That's why I've gone back to Gekkoukan High and to SEES. I lose control when I'm around you, and I want you so bad that I couldn't even help myself." He sighed. "This is making my head hurt." He kissed Yuuki again before drawing back. "Your answer?"

Yuuki stared at Shinjiro for a very long time before she pulled herself up to his eye level by grabbing on his shoulders and standing on tip-toes, pressing her lips to his own, and pulling back again.

Shinjiro smiled a very small smile. "I'll take that as a yes," he stated.


	7. Yakushima

**Warnings: **Slight violence. Suicidal implications. Lemon scenes.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Persona 3 Portable or any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven: Yakushima<strong>

_July 20, 2009  
><em>_Boat to Yakushima_

The scent of the ocean as well as the fresh air filled Yuuki's nostrils as she looked out of the ferry that is on journey to Yakushima, with the rest of SEES also on board the same ferry. Junpei, as usual, couldn't seem to keep still _or _silent.

Yuuki had often wondered if the boy is really seven instead of seventeen.

"Awesome! There it is!" Junpei shouted _extremely loudly _as the island came into view. Yuuki who was standing beside him nearly winced, as he had all but deafened her, causing her to go temporarily deaf for several moments. "YA-KU-SHI-MAAAAAAA!"

Fuuka's eyes were wide with wonder as she took in the sight of the number of tropical plants growing on the island. And is that a forest back there? "W-Wow, so many tropical plants…!" she said, awed. "Take a look at that one."

There was a rather awkward silence on the boat that even made Shinjiro uneasy. Yuuki who had moved next to the brunette to prevent losing her hearing nearly groaned, palming her face. "What is this…rather ominous atmosphere?" she muttered to Shinjiro.

Akihiko was as oblivious as ever, and currently had his nose stuck in some book titled 'Training for DUMMIES', ignoring everyone around him.

Fuuka nearly sweat dropped at this. Her small and feeble attempt to try to break the awkward silence and the tension seems to have backfired on her. "Um…" she mumbled.

"I-It's totally amazing, huh?" Junpei asked nervously, trying, but failing to break the awkward silence. "Man, this is so awesome… I'm not even kidding!"

**XXXXXX**

"Hey, don't you think that there is some kind of tension between Kirijo-sempai and her father?" Fuuka asked Yuuki quietly as they both changed into their swimsuits.

SEES had headed to the Kirijo family mansion earlier, and had even run into Kirijo Takeharu, Mitsuru's father. He has that no-nonsense air about him, also with a strict feel, and Yuuki thinks that it is from him where Mitsuru had gotten her seriousness.

Yuuki sighed. "So I'm not the only one who noticed, huh?" she mused, glancing over her shoulder to see that Yukari is currently changing into her swimsuit with her back facing them. "Come on, let's go, or Junpei will probably barge in here to see why we're taking so long."

* * *

><p><em>Yakushima Beach<br>__Yakushima_

Only Junpei and Akihiko are at the beach when the girls, minus Mitsuru, have turned up. Junpei was singing very badly to himself as he pulled on his sandals.

"Ahh… Got my sandals on… Givin' my feet a chance to breathe… Yup! Summer's here!"

Yukari sighed as she fixed the sunglasses atop her head. "Ugh, could he _be _any louder?" she asked, annoyed.

Yuuki chuckled. "Don't jinx it, Yukari. He _can _be louder, you know?"

Yukari sighed. "I guess," he muttered. She then blushed and turned her face away. "But yikes, what's with Sanada-sempai's swimsuit? I can feel my face getting red just by looking at it."

"Hmm?" Yuuki turned towards the direction of the boys, and nearly bent over in laughter. The silver haired boxer was wearing a pretty small and tight pair of black Speedos. In fact, that is probably the only excuse that Akihiko can use to state that he is not parading around naked.

"Where is Aragaki-sempai?" Fuuka wondered, looking around. "I don't see him anywhere."

"Probably—" Yuuki found her voice getting caught in her throat as she turned around, having heard the light crunch of sand beneath feet, along with nearly everyone else. The chestnut haired girl swore that her heart had stopped beating for a moment, and felt her face warming up.

Shinjiro was walking towards them, wearing simple black shorts, and he had left off his usual beanie. With him nearly always wearing that coat of his if he _isn't _in uniform, Yuuki had never really noticed just how fit he is. His chest was bare, and he had just the right amount of muscle – probably due to their frequent trips to Tartarus.

Shadow hunting in Tartarus does more than just improving their fighting skills. It gives them the necessary exercise that they require as well. Even Rio had already started asking Yuuki just what she does for training, as she had the best stamina and speed out of the entire tennis team, also being particularly agile.

In fact, Shinjiro looked as if he had just walked off a fashion magazine for beach fashion. Yuuki is fairly sure that if the girls at their school could see Shinjiro now, he would probably immediately take the place of 'most popular guy' in the school, even with his 'delinquent' reputation. And for some strange reason, there is a sudden decrease of daily love confessions to her ever since Shinjiro had returned to school…

"Sorry that I'm late." Shinjiro grunted, trying not to look at Yuuki OR any of the other girls for the matter.

Akihiko walked over to the girls the moment that he saw them and his best friend, with Junpei close behind him. "Yo, about time that you guys got here." He then glanced at Yukari. "Hmm? Something wrong, Takeba?"

"That's a…pretty…small swimsuit that you've got there," said Yukari, averting her eyes away from Akihiko, and deciding to just admire the trees near them instead.

"What, don't you know? Swimsuits like this reduce water resistance and—"

"That's nice, sempai. But we don't need to know all the details." Yuuki cut in.

Shinjiro sighed. "Maybe I should take you with me the next time that we shopping for any clothes or apparel," he muttered.

"Hey Junpei, what's the matter? You look even dumber than usual."

Junpei was almost drooling as he stared at the girls far longer than necessary before he grinned. That _grin _almost sent warning bells ringing through Yuuki's head. "Maaaan… Talk about a feast for the eyes. Yuka-tan's wearing a more aggressive model than I had imagined! Could her boldness come from the confidence that her club training has toned her bod?" Junpei exclaimed in a way that would make even professional announcers proud, holding up an imaginary microphone.

Yukari blinked owlishly a few times. "Huh?"

Junpei turned his eyes to Yuuki next. "And check out our leader! She is one cute mermaid herself! Those curves she usually keeps covered up are looking good! I can't tear my eyes away!"

Yuuki twitched with annoyance, though a small smile appeared on her face in amusement at Junpei's antics. "Don't make me come over there and smack you, Junpei!" she laughed, swatting at his head.

"Ow!" Junpei whined, holding onto that bruised spot, oblivious to Shinjiro's death glare on his back. "Maaaan, the beach is so great. I love this place!"

Fuuka walked over just then. "Is that umbrella taken?" she asked timidly.

Junpei grinned lecherously at the timid girl. "Oooh, and here we have the lovely Miss Yamagishi! Wow, Fuuka, I had no idea you were so…" He cleared his throat nervously at Yukari's glare. "I mean, you should wear a swimsuit more often!"

"Huh?" Fuuka was at a loss for words for several moments before her brain registered Junpei's statement, and she blushed furiously. "Oh!" She squeaked, crossing both arms over her chest.

"Oh, come on, there's nothing to be embarrassed about!" Junpei chuckled. "Hehehe!"

As one, both Yuuki and Yukari smacked Junpei over the head, tick marks visible on their heads.

"Ow!"

"Stop that creepy laugh, you perv!" Yukari gritted.

"You might want to stop before Fuuka sues you for sexual harassment." Yuuki added.

Mitsuru approached them just then, and Junpei's eyes lit up. "And here's our final contestant…"

"Hmm? Is there something wrong?" Mitsuru asked, seemingly oblivious to Junpei's perverted stare.

"Wow… Kirijo-sempai, you're beautiful…" Fuuka said, envy visible in her voice.

"Yeah, your skin is flawless! Did you already put on sunscreen?" Yukari asked.

Mitsuru blushed. "N-No. Not yet."

Meanwhile, Junpei had tugged Akihiko and Shinjiro away from the girls, a lecherous grin on his face. "Psst. Sanada-sempai. Aragaki-sempai. Level with me. Which one's your type?"

"Huh?" Shinjiro stared at Junpei as if he had just grown two new heads.

Is he seriously asking Shinjiro that?

He glanced over at the girls who were still crowding around Mitsuru. Yuuki had chosen a striped red and white bikini set that could have passed off as undergarments easily, with the swimwear emphasising her curves, along with her nicely toned legs.

It surprised Shinjiro for a moment to see such a well-leaned body that is usually hidden by her school uniform or the clothing that she usually wear on weekends or at the dorm. Unlike the girls that often hung out at the back alley who is so scrawny until it is almost pitiful, Yuuki is kind of their opposite. She is petite and small in size, but unlike those girls, she had a well-kept body, and it is obvious to Shinjiro that she trained regularly apart from their trips to Tartarus.

"Huh? Really?"

Shinjiro nearly jumped when Junpei's loud voice nearly deafened him. Apparently, they have said something when he wasn't paying attention, and even the girls have turned around, curious looks on their faces.

"K-Keep your voice down!" Akihiko hissed, a blush on his cheeks.

"What about you, Aragaki-sempai?" Junpei asked, turning towards Shinjiro. "Which one's your type?" Shinjiro stared at Junpei for a very long time without saying anything, and Junpei groaned. "Oh, come on, sempai! It wouldn't hurt telling me, right? Right?"

Thankfully, Yukari interrupted them just then, and Shinjiro was never more relieved for her at that moment than he did.

"Hey Shinji, let's go for a swim." Akihiko suggested. "It's been some time since we went to the sea after all. I'll race you."

Shinjiro grunted. "You're on."

**XXXXXX**

_Night  
><em>_Kirijo Mansion_

"That's quite a crying show back there at the breach." Shinjiro stated as he opened his room door for Yuuki. The SEES members were each given their own rooms in this huge ass mansion. Yuuki said nothing as she shut the door behind her, and he walked over to her, dressed only in a white shirt and black pants, for once leaving off his pea coat, though he had on his beanie. At Yuuki's questioning look, he answered. "I saw everything, you know? Kirijo sent me to check on you and Takeba both earlier."

SEES had just gone through a meeting of sorts with the head of the Kirijo Group, when Kirijo Takeharu had told them everything that had happened ten years ago, the origins of the Shadows, as well as showing them a video taken during the explosion incident ten years ago.

Yuuki sighed and turned a stern glare on him. "Give Yukari a break!" she scolded. "It's her father after all. She has her own problems."

"Don't we all?" Shinjiro stated. "All of us have our own problems, yet you don't see us crying and blaming other people for it, do we? At least her mother is still alive. You, Aki and me… We don't have anyone else waiting for us at home. She does. She chose to give it up herself. She has no right to vent it all out on you like this when you're just trying to help her."

Yuuki winced. "Well, that is…"

Even back then, Shinjiro can't really bring himself to like Yukari. Thankfully, she has matured quite a bit after he had gone into a coma. But before that, he didn't like how she always seems to think that the world revolves around her.

"But, after listening to Kirijo-san, I've just thought of something." Yuuki said, clasping both hands together behind her back and staring at the ceiling as if seeing something fascinating there.

"What is?" Shinjiro asked.

Yuuki glanced at Shinjiro. "Do you know how I joined SEES?"

"Aki told me," said Shinjiro with a shrug. The boxer had looked at him with a weird look when he had asked about Yuuki just after he had joined, but had obliged to Shinjiro's request, even giving quite specific details about the attack on the dorm in April.

"Iwatodai is where I grew up in when I was a kid," said Yuuki with a small smile. "After my parents died, I went to an orphanage in the city with my older twin brother."

Shinjiro blinked in confusion. This is the first that he had heard of it. Even back then, Yuuki had never mentioned that she had a twin brother. "You have a brother?" he echoed.

Yuuki nodded. "Yeah. Older than me by about half-an-hour," she answered. "He's totally my opposite in everything. The quiet silent type whose favourite hobby is to sit in one corner and stare at nothing for hours. When we're in middle school, his nickname among our classmates and his friends is 'Emo King'. Only thing that we have in common is that he likes listening to music as much as I do." She smiled as she pointed at the red headphones hanging around her neck. "We bought our headphones together the day when we left the orphanage two years ago. Minato said that we are not kids anymore, and that even if everything changes around us, he will always be my brother, and that I would always be his sister. We have an unbreakable bond between us. The orphanage that we stayed at requires us to leave when we turn fifteen. We have stayed at our school's student dorms ever since."

"Then…how have you both survived up to now?" Shinjiro asked, curious. He had his inheritance from his parents still, and so did Aki. Thus why they never have to worry about their school fees as well as daily expenses.

"Well, our middle school is pretty kind to the poor, and so is Gekkoukan High. Thus, our tuition fee is waived." Yuuki smiled. "I won a scholarship to Gekkoukan High during middle school, and thus, my fees and everything is waived. Minato attend Yasaoinaba High."

"Yasaoinaba?" Shinjiro blinked. "Isn't that in Inaba? Just a stone's throw away from here, if I'm right."

"Well, we're both so busy with school stuff that we never had the time to visit, even though we have each other's dorm addresses and such. We often spoke on the phone at night though, and occasional emails." Yuuki smiled wryly. "So many battles… It's a little difficult to believe that it has only been a few months." She mused. "Come to think of it, once a Persona user awakens to their own power, we remember everything that had happened during the Dark Hour. Both the good and the bad. It's like trading away everything for this power. Like eating the devil's fruit in essence. In exchange for power, you can no longer look away from the things that you don't want to see." Yuuki smiled at Shinjiro. "This…is our world, right?"

Shinjiro's eyes widened.

* * *

><p><em>Flashback:<em>

"_Sempai…you came…" Yuuki smiled at Shinjiro after he released her from his tight embrace, cupping his cheek with one hand._

_Shinjiro wondered for a moment just why her hand is so cold for a moment, as he sat her on his lap, leaning against the fence around the school roof. Aigis walked away towards a corner politely to give them some privacy that he appreciated._

"_I just remembered!" Shinjiro said quickly. "The Dark Hour! The Shadows! Tartarus! Personas! And Strega." He breathed heavily. "I remember everything!"_

"_I'm happy to see you again."_

"_What are you saying?" Shinjiro laughed. "We have all the time in the world after this, right?"_

_Yuuki smiled. "Yeah…" She looked at the sky, leaning against Shinjiro's chest. "It's only been a year. Yet it feels longer than that. So many battles… It's over at last." She breathed. "The Dark Hour; a hidden hour that only a selective few are aware of… The Persona users remember everything that had happened during it. Both the good and the bad. But I had never regretted awakening to my power…to Orpheus…to Thanatos." She smiled at Shinjiro. "I'm glad that I get to meet you."_

"_Why are you talking like this?" Shinjiro can't help but feel uneasy._

_Yuuki smiled, rubbing at her eyes. "I'm tired," she slurred. "I feel so sleepy. The sun is so nice. Sempai…Shinjiro…Shinji… Stay with me."_

"_Of course I will. We'll be together forever and ever." Shinjiro pressed his nose into her hair._

"_Kiss me."_

_Shinjiro cradled the back of her neck as he pressed his lips to Yuuki's. The kiss only lasted a few moments before he drew back. Yuuki smiled at him, the light in her eyes slowly diminishing. Shinjiro felt really uneasy at that. "I'm sleepy," she slurred. _

"_Go to sleep then. I'll be here when you wake up."_

"_Yeah." Yuuki smiled. "Looks like I can't keep my promise to him after all."_

"_Who?" Shinjiro asked, but he never got an answer._

"…_Yuuki?"_

_Flashback Ends:_

* * *

><p>"Sempai?" Yuuki looked concerned as she looked at Shinjiro's sudden pale face. "Are you alright?"<p>

"Y-Yeah. I-I'm fine." Shinjiro mumbled, pressing the heel of his palm against his forehead. He hadn't thought of his final hour with Yuuki for a long time now…ever since Theodore had sent him back here. "I'm…just fine…"

He was taken aback when he felt a warm hand press itself against his forehead, and Shinjiro glanced up only to see Yuuki touching his forehead, though she had to stand on tiptoes in order to do that.

"Hmm… No fever," said Yuuki with a frown, trying to peer at his eyes, and Shinjiro has to use every ounce of his self-restraint and willpower to prevent himself from pouncing on her and taking her right then and there. "Are you sure that you're feeling okay, sempai?"

"Shinji."

"Huh?"

Shinjiro blushed. "I said, call me 'Shinji'!" he scowled, a blush staining his cheeks. That is the nickname that only Aki and Miki used to call him when they were children.

"Shinji." Yuuki supplied helpfully, a teasing smirk on her face, and Shinjiro fought the urge to smile.

"I mean, call me 'Shinji' from now on." Shinjiro mumbled. "And enough of that '-sempai' crap. I had it enough from Takeba, Yamagishi and Iori. I don't need it coming from you too."

"Hmm…" Yuuki peered at his face, pressing a hand against his forehead, much to Shinjiro's annoyance. "I think you really do have a fever after all." She commented. "Weren't _you _the one who wanted to hide our relationship from everyone else, even the rest of SEES? Though I think that Yukari and Fuuka have suspected something by now."

Shinjiro sighed. "I did that because if everyone knows that we're going out, there is going to be some trouble for you," he stated. "I have kind of a reputation around school, you know? I know what the students have been calling me. 'The Demon'." He stated sarcastically, and Yuuki broke out into giggles.

"With the way you glare at everyone who so much as looks at you wrong, I'm not surprised." Yuuki commented. "And I don't think that we can keep it a secret for long anyway," she said, a smile tugging at the ends of her lips. "Bebe, the French boy who is with me in the Fashion Club asked me quite an interesting question last Wednesday."

"Oh?"

Yuuki smiled. "Yeah. 'Yuuki-sama, is it true that you're _datant _Aragaki-san?'" She mimicked Bebe's voice, complete with a French accent.

Shinjiro's face was blank. Unlike Akihiko and Mitsuru, he isn't that fluent at French. He understood enough to pass his exams, but not enough to carry on a decent conversation in French. _"'Datant'?"_

"Dating." Yuuki supplied helpfully. "And he went on to ask me which base that we'd gone to."

Shinjiro choked on his saliva. What the hell? Who the hell had been teaching Bebe stuff like that? He knew that the French boy had a crush on Yuuki, just like nearly half of the male population in the school, but Yuuki had never seen them as anything but just mere friends.

Shinjiro then smirked. "What base, huh?" he mused.

Yuuki was taken back by surprise as her back hit the door all of a sudden, with Shinjiro pinning her body with his, plunging his tongue into her mouth without even bothering to tease. Yuuki's eyes fluttered shut as she begin to return his gestures, wrapping her arms around his neck as Shinjiro's powerful arms trailed down her sides and around her waist.

Yuuki let out a light moan as the kiss was deepened, and Shinjiro moved closer against her. The chestnut haired girl blushed as she could feel his muscles and body heat through their clothing, and even his hard _thing _down below.

Shinjiro broke their kiss, and Yuuki let out a squeak of surprise as he attacked her neck next, nibbling on the soft flesh there. "S-Sempai…" she moaned, feeling light-headed, and felt all the blood rush to her head as Shinjiro sucked on her neck.

"Shinji." Shinjiro growled with desire.

"S-Shin— Eek!" Yuuki let out a squeak as Shinjiro's hand went down to the belt around her waist, loosening it slightly with one hand, and unbuttoning the button of her shorts. "W-What are you doing— Ah!" Yuuki gasped softly as she felt his warm hand reaching into her shorts, with his fingers brushing against her inner thigh, the tips of his fingers caressing her sensitive area. Her fingernails dug into Shinjiro's flesh, and he winced slightly at it. "W-What are you doing?"

_Knock! Knock!_

Yuuki's eyes widened when she heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" Shinjiro asked, withdrawing his hand out of Yuuki's shorts, practically barricading her in with his body.

"It's Aki," said Akihiko's voice from beyond the door. "Is everything alright, Shinji? I've heard some pretty strange noises."

Yuuki blushed when Akihiko said 'strange noises'.

"I-It's nothing!" Shinjiro snapped, getting his senses back. What the hell was he even doing?

"I-I see," said Akihiko. "Then… Good night, Shinji."

"Good night." Shinjiro mumbled, and Akihiko's footsteps then echoed and faded away. He sighed and rested his forehead against Yuuki's. "Sorry. I don't know what came over me like this." Yuuki shook her head. Shinjiro smiled. "For tonight… Can you stay with me tonight?"


	8. Aigis

**Warnings: **Slight violence. Suicidal implications. Lemon scenes.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Persona 3 Portable or any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eight: Aigis<strong>

_~July 21, Yakushima Beach, Daytime~_

Aragaki Shinjiro was very annoyed.

'_I __woke __up __early __in __the __morning __just __for __this?__' _he thought, annoyed, glaring at the back of the idiot Junpei's head, trying to bore holes through it with sheer willpower alone, with the idiot saying something about 'Babe Hunt'. And judging by the exasperated look that Akihiko had shot at Junpei, even the silver haired teen was annoyed.

Junpei had all but broken his door down early that morning, along with Akihiko who had the room right next to him. And before the brunette senior even knew what is going on, he had found himself on Yakushima Beach, dressed in his swimwear.

Something near the waters of the beach caught Shinjiro's eye just then, and he turned only to see a girl with light blonde hair and equally pale blue eyes, with headphones over her ears, standing there.

Shinjiro recognised her immediately, as the mechanical robot had practically followed Yuuki around everywhere that she went the last time around, proclaiming herself as Yuuki's 'protector'. Part of Shinjiro was pissed off at her for sealing Death into Yuuki when she is a kid, but the other half, the reasonable half, can't bring himself to blame the blonde robot for it.

A muscle in Shinjiro's cheek twitched. _'__Aigis__…'_

**XXXXXX**

_~Jyomon Sugi Forest, Daytime~_

Fuuka breathed in deeply, letting out a sigh of contentment as she exhaled out again, taking in the fresh air of the forest. All the girls have decided to go for a walk into the forest early that morning to get some 'girls' alone time'. Yuuki is the only one wise enough to leave a note behind for the boys to find before they go into panic mode.

"Ahh, the air is so fresh here…" Fuuka sighed in contentment. "I never thought that a walk in the woods could be so enjoyable. You can't do this in Iwatodai."

Silence. Deadly silence.

Yuuki nearly sweat dropped at the sudden tense atmosphere surrounding them. Even the chirping of the birds in the forest seemed to have subsided. Fuuka nearly sweat dropped at this, and giggled nervously, immediately trying to change the subject.

"Oh, so listen to this," she said. "Junpei-kun was acting like such a pervert yesterday, and I didn't know how to react. It's probably a good thing that we came out here by ourselves…"

Yukari seemed rather distracted as she glanced at Fuuka. "Huh? Oh, yeah."

"Just do what Yukari did to Junpei every single time that he annoys her." Yuuki joked, trying to break the tense atmosphere. "Just give him a good kick in the nuts."

Fuuka blushed. "Yuuki-chan!"

That seemed to do the trick, as Yukari giggled, and even Mitsuru smiled in amusement at the mental image of sweet, shy and kind Fuuka kicking Junpei like how Yukari always did whenever Junpei annoys her.

A phone rang just then, and all four girls paused in their step as Mitsuru who is taking the lead stopped, and pulled out a phone from her pocket, answering the call.

"Kirijo speaking." Mitsuru stated. Her eyes then widened when she listened to whatever that the speaker on the other end of the line has to say. "One moment. Let me switch over to speakerphone." She pressed a button on her phone and held it in her hand. "Please continue."

Ikutsuki's voice blared out from the phone, sounding rather tired and worried as he did so. _"__Well, __I__'__m __at __the __lab __here __on __the __island__… __And __a __machine __that __was __considered __inoperable __suddenly __left __the __facility __on __its __own.__"_

"A machine?" Yukari questioned, tilting her head to one side in question.

"What kind of machine is it?" Fuuka asked. "I need detailed information to locate anything other than Shadows."

"_It's a combat vehicle – an anti-Shadow weapon, to be precise."_

"Anti-Shadow weapon?" Yuuki repeated, blinking in bewilderment. Is there even such a thing?

"A _combat _vehicle?" Yukari squeaked at the same time as Yuuki, fear visible in her eyes. "You mean…like a _tank _or something? We gotta let the others know!" She started searching through her pockets. "Where's my cell…?"

"We're not currently with the others, so it might take some time for us all to assemble." Mitsuru informed Ikutsuki, watching Yukari currently searching through her pockets for her cellphone, with Yuuki doing the same next to her.

"_I see… Well, regardless, I want you to handle this as soon as possible. I'm on my way there now."_

Mitsuru frowned. "If the target cannot be captured, do we have permission to destroy it?" she questioned, as Yuuki let out a triumphant cry as she found her phone, and immediately punched in a number, pressing the phone to her ear.

Ikutsuki laughed nervously. _"__I __highly __doubt __that __you__'__ll __be __able __to __destroy __it.__"_

"What?" Fuuka nearly freaked out. "Then how are we supposed to stop it?"

"_Just do your best. I'll call you again later." Click._

Yukari sighed, hanging up her phone. "Junpei's not answering his phone, and I'm not getting through to Sanada-sempai. Yuuki, what about you?"

Yuuki hung up her phone and shook her head as well, and Yukari sighed. Mitsuru rubbed her temples. "Don't worry about it. Let's go back and get our equipment. Then we can have Yamagishi's Persona scan the area…" She trailed off uneasily. "Though this island _is _quite large." She added helpfully.

Yuuki sighed inwardly. _'__Oh __great.__'_

Yukari frowned as she took off after Mitsuru who led the way back to the Kirijo Mansion. "Geez! That idiot Junpei is so useless at a time like this!" she frowned. "Where could they be?"

**XXXXXX**

Birds chirping…

Wind blowing…

Leaves rustling…

And Hariyama Yuuki is totally lost.

Yuuki sighed, looking in several directions at once, wondering just how in the world could she even get herself lost in a forest like this when she'd never gotten herself lost once whenever they entered the labyrinth called Tartarus. And then again, they _do_have Fuuka's help during all their explorations.

Yuuki took in a deep breath, inhaling. "YUKARI! FUUKA! KIRIJO-SEMPAI! ARE YOU ANYWHERE ABOUT?"

Flocks of birds immediately took flight from the surrounding trees in fright. But apart from the squawking of the frightened birds, there wasn't a single peep to be heard. The brunette girl sighed to herself. "What should I do?" she murmured. She then stiffened, and turned around, as she sensed a strong gaze on her back.

Ever since getting to the island, Yuuki has been sensing a strange presence around always staring at her, and she is seriously starting to get crept out. Sure, she knew that she's popular and all. But she didn't expect for herself to be _so_popular that she'll get _stalkers._

All the hairs on the back of her neck stood just then, and for no reason at all, Yuuki found her muscles tensing. The brunette knew the signs; this happens frequently during their excursions in Tartarus – whenever there is some Shadow lurking around that escaped Fuuka's notice. It happened, but not often, as there are very few Shadows that can escape Fuuka's notice.

Yuuki immediately turned around, her left hand unconsciously going to the back of her waist where she always kept her naginata, but found herself grasping at empty air instead. She then blinked in surprise when she saw a blonde girl standing behind her, staring back at her.

For several moments, neither one of them said anything, before the blonde girl broke the silence first and ran over, hugging Yuuki tightly. Yuuki stiffened at the sudden body contact.

When she was little, her twin brother had often held her when she was feeling scared and lonely in the orphanage where they both grew up in, or even during a terrible thunderstorm. Minato-nii had always been warm and comforting, radiating a gentle and warm radiance. When they have grown up, those contacts have been minimized, but Minato-nii had always made her feel safe.

But this girl… Her body feels weird somehow…like she's made out of metal or something…

"I was correct. Now I have found you." She stated, speaking in a mechanical-like tone. "I have been searching for you. My highest priority is to be with you!"

"Huh?" Yuuki practically had several question marks floating above her head. And on that note, why in the world is she speaking like she's some kind of robot? "What are you talking about?"

Before the blonde could answer however, they were interrupted in the form of a certain cap-wearing teen.

"There she is!" Junpei shouted, appearing on the scene, with both Akihiko and Shinjiro close behind him. His eyes then nearly bugged out of it's sockets at the current scene. "Wait… _What? _W-W-What's going on here?" He pointed a shaking finger at Yuuki and the blonde girl who doesn't seem to want to let go of her.

"I see." Akihiko nodded to himself thoughtfully. "So _that__'__s _her preference. That explains why we got the cold shoulder."

Shinjiro glared at his best friend, and Yuuki looked at the silver haired senior with confusion. "Huh? What are you talking about?" she asked. "More importantly, can you please let go of me?" She asked the blonde girl politely.

Before the blonde could reply, the girls turned up just then, with Yukari taking the lead. "There you are, Yuuki!" she said. "Huh?" Yukari blinked when she saw the boys. "Junpei? What are you doing here? We've been looking all over for you!"

"Umm…" Fuuka trailed off, sweat dropping when she took in the current states of the three boys who were currently all in their swimsuits. "What are you doing out here in the middle of the woods, in your swimsuits?"

Yukari sighed. "You have _no _idea what we've—" Yukari then blinked in confusion, seeing what she's missed earlier. Namely, the blonde girl hugging Yuuki. "Huh? Yuuki, why is she hugging you?"

"I wonder why myself." Yuuki smiled weakly, _still _trying to unlatch the girl's hold from around her. Shinjiro finally stepped forward, and easily pried the blonde girl's grip from around his girlfriend.

"…What?" Yukari seemed more interested in Shinjiro's action, and a devilish smirk lit up her features when she saw the way that both Shinjiro and her best friend _looked_at each other, making a mental note to introduce Yuuki to a crash course on Interrogation 101 once they get back to Iwatodai.

Mitsuru interrupted just then. "Listen, we've encountered a problem," she stated. "I'm sorry to interrupt your vacation, but I need you all to go back to the house and prepare for battle."

"That won't be necessary, Kirijo-kun." Ikutsuki interrupted, approaching them, a relieved expression on his face as he laid eyes on the blonde girl. Shinjiro scowled inwardly when he spotted that _glint _in his eyes. "We've already found what we were looking for."

"What do you mean?" Yukari questioned, confused.

"You had me worried. You don't have permission to leave the lab on your own, Aigis." Ikutsuki scolded.

"…I know." Aigis answered, not looking away from Yuuki who was half-hiding behind Shinjiro.

* * *

><p><em>~Reception Room, Kirijo Mansion, Evening~<em>

Everyone was gathered in the reception room of the Kirijo Mansion, waiting for Ikutsuki and his 'explanation' regarding the little scare earlier that day regarding a 'runaway anti-Shadow weapon'.

"I apologise for all the trouble." Ikutsuki apologised sheepishly, one hand scratching the back of his head. "Everything is under control now."

"So what happened to capturing the tank?" Fuuka asked.

"Oh, that's already been taken care of." Ikutsuki said cheerfully. "Come here, Aigis."

"Coming."

Aigis, the blonde girl from earlier walked in, wearing different clothes from the afternoon, standing next to Ikutsuki. "This is Aigis." Ikutsuki introduced the blonde to the rest of SEES. "As you can see, she's a 'mechanical maiden'."

"I am Aigis. My mission is to destroy Shadows. I have been assigned to SEES, effective immediately."

"No way…" Yukari stated, fascinated. "It's like she's…alive."

"This is unbelievable."

Shinjiro and Yuuki exchanged looks, deciding not to voice their opinions regarding this affair. Junpei sighed. "She's so cute, but…she's a robot…"

Yuuki twitched. "Is _that _all that you can say?" she huffed. "I'm starting to think that Yukari is right when she asked if there is _any _girl that you _wouldn__'__t _hit on."

Fuuka giggled.

Ikutsuki cleared his throat. "Anti-Shadow weapons were created ten years ago to combat uncontrollable Shadows," he explained. "Aigis was the last to be made…and she's the only one that still remains today."

"An anti-Shadow weapon…" Mitsuru mused, before her eyes widened in realisation. "Does that mean that she…?"

"Yes." Aigis responded. "I am capable of operating the Persona 'Palladion'."

"She suffered major damage in combat, and has remained in the lab ever since." Ikutsuki explained. "It's still unclear as to why she suddenly reactivated herself this morning…" He trailed off. "Well, I hope that you will all get along."

"An anti-Shadow weapon with a will of her own…" Fuuka mused. "This is amazing!"

"Umm…" Yukari looked from Aigis to Yuuki and back again. "By the way, when I saw you earlier, it seemed like you knew her." Yukari gestured towards Yuuki.

"Yes, it is very important for me to be by her side." Aigis responded.

"Huh?" Yuuki was confused.

"Hmm…" Ikutsuki frowned to himself. "Perhaps her identification system is malfunctioning or something. Or maybe she's still half asleep. Hmm… This is quite interesting…" He mumbled to himself.

Yukari sweat dropped. "I don't think it's that…" she sighed.

"Well, I can ponder on this later," said Ikutsuki cheerfully. "Oh, I forgot to tell you all. You can participate in a wide range of recreational activities here. There's a tennis court, a pool table, and even a karaoke machine." He grinned. "Would you care to hear me sing?" He offered.

Junpei sweat dropped. "Uhh…"

**XXXXXX**

_~July 22, Yakushima Beach, Daytime~_

It's the last day of SEES's vacation, and everyone have agreed to head to the beach for the last time to have some fun before going back to Iwatodai the next day, returning to their usual routine of school, work, and Shadow hunting at Tartarus.

"Man, it's already the third day of our trip." Junpei sighed. "It's too bad that we have to go home tomorrow. I'd totally stay longer if I could."

Shinjiro sighed. "Spare me," he grumbled. "I had enough of babysitting you and Aki both during our trip."

"Sempai, you're mean." Junpei whined, and Shinjiro nearly sweat dropped.

'_What __is __he? __Five?__' _Shinjiro thought to himself.

"But I can't complain." Junpei perked up. "A lot of cool things happened while we were here."

Akihiko who was standing next to Shinjiro sighed, wearing his usual Speedos, but thankfully, along with a white T-shirt on as well, much to Yukari's relief. "How can he be so full of energy?" He wanted to know. "Where did all the energy come from? And we were all up so late last night as well."

All of SEES have stayed up pretty late the previous night, playing pool, and even engaging in some karaoke. Yukari and Yuuki were both pretty good singers, and surprisingly, so was Fuuka. Mitsuru had declined singing, though all of SEES could do without Ikutsuki's 'singing' that nearly deafened them all. As such, they were all pretty relieved when Ikutsuki had to excuse himself, retiring to bed. As all of SEES were still too wide awake after their karaoke session, Shinjiro had produced a pack of cards from out of nowhere, and they have then played Blackjack.

Aigis who was also with them at the beach that day was looking around. "Do we have a mission at the beach today?" she asked.

"Nah, it's nothing like that." Junpei grinned. "We just came here to have some fun."

Fuuka smiled at Aigis. "Do you understand what it means to 'have fun', Aigis?"

"Of course." Aigis nodded. "Recreation is the refreshment of one's mind and body."

Akihiko and Shinjiro nearly sweat dropped at this reply.

"Exactly!" Junpei grinned. "Wow, you sure know a lot about us humans. Alright, let's take one last dip before we leave!"

And he then took off towards the waters with a loud war cry, dragging Aigis with him as he did so. Fuuka, Yuuki, Shinjiro and Akihiko watched him go, speechless. "Uh, hold on, Junpei-kun…" Fuuka trailed off. "Is it okay for Aigis to go into the ocean?" She wondered.

"Oh, I'm sure that she's waterproof." Yukari approached them just then.

Aigis returned just then, with no Junpei with her.

Fuuka tilted her head to one side. "What's wrong, Aigis?"

"It is best that we all engage in this activity together. An activity in which only one person derives enjoyment is not the optimal method to 'have fun'."

Yukari sighed. "Do we have to?" she grumbled. But despite her complaining, she still followed Aigis into the water, before being followed by Fuuka and Mitsuru, leaving only Yuuki, Shinjiro and Akihiko behind.

Ikutsuki arrived at the beach just then, looking extremely out of place in his usual outfit, instead of the beach wear that all the teens have wore, sans for Aigis. "Are you enjoying yourself?" Ikutsuki asked, beaming. "We've been quite busy during our time here, but it looks as if we could relax a bit together."

Akihiko nodded. "I hope so," he agreed. "Things have been so hectic lately."

"We've been so busy lately with Tartarus and the Shadows. Having fun like this every now and then is a change." Yuuki nodded.

Junpei shouted from the water just then. "Hey, Sanada-sempai, c'mon! It's your turn!"

"My turn?" Akihiko was confused. "What are they doing?"

Shinjiro grunted. "Knowing Iori, nothing good, I bet."

Ikutsuki laughed. "Well, I'm glad to see that everyone is having so much fun," he said. "I've already told you what time that the ship will be arriving tomorrow, yes?" He looked at Akihiko as he said so, and the silver haired boxer nodded. "Well then, I'll most likely head over to the port early, so don't be late."

Yuuki sighed. "Someone has to wake Junpei up then," she stated. "That guy is hard to wake up once he sleeps."

Akihiko chuckled. "I'll let everyone know," he told Ikutsuki.

The Chairman nodded. "We can get back down to business once we're all back at the dorm." Akihiko, Shinjiro and Yuuki all nodded.

"Hey~! Yuuki-tan! Sanada-sempai! Aragaki-sempai!" Junpei shouted from the water, amidst the laughs and giggles from the others, as the girls splashed water at each other. Fuuka actually squeaked in surprise when a particularly large wave from Yukari drenched her completely.

Akihiko sighed. "This again?" he murmured. "I guess we should go too." He stated as he walked towards the water, but not before removing his shirt. Shinjiro and Yuuki followed him.

In the water, Junpei's eyes bulged at seeing 'guns' form from Aigis's hands. "Aigis, wait! That's not what 'water gun' means! Aaaaaaaaack!" He went under immediately from Aigis's 'attack'.

Fuuka laughed. "Junpei-kun is down!"

"Alright!" Yukari cheered. "Here's our chance for an All-Out Attack!"

"ATTACK!"

Junpei spluttered as his head broke the surface of the water, choking and spluttering as he'd swallowed some seawater by mistake. "Whoa! Whoa! Time out! Sanada-sempai! Aragaki-sempai! Save me!"

"Do not drag me into this." Shinjiro grunted, looking away.

"Same here. I'll rather not be the one getting 'attacked' next." Akihiko smiled.

"Traitors!" Junpei cried fake tears. "Spare me! I can't take much more of this…!" His eyes then bulged out. "Gyaaaaaaah!"

Shinjiro chuckled as he looked at the juniors all having fun in the water, playing just like how normal high school students are doing, with none of the world's burdens on their shoulders, like the burden of the Dark Hour and the Personas.

Shinjiro then frowned, looking at Aigis. _'__So __she__'__s __joined __SEES __as __well,__' _he mused to himself. _'__The __chain __is __set __in __motion. __I __have __to __talk __to __Theodore __about __this. __About __an __alternate __way __to __seal __Nyx __without __killing __Yuuki.__'_

* * *

><p><em>AN: Sorry for the late update, people! Schoolwork has been piling up like crazy recently, and I still have another two reports to write, along with a 5,000 word essay waiting for me to tear my hair out over._

_Anyway, I'm thinking of the Ken situation. I'm pretty sure that lots of Shinjiro fans hate him. I kind of did too when he'd nearly gotten Shinjiro killed in the game. So I'm going to ask this: do you want Ken to die in this story or not? I won't spoil you what fate I have in store for him if majority votes yes. _

_Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review!_


	9. Canine Companion

**Warnings: **Slight violence. Suicidal implications. Lemon scenes.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Persona 3 Portable or any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nine: Canine Companion<strong>

_~July 24, Velvet Room~_

Aragaki Shinjiro cracked his eyes opened only to groan when he saw the familiar sight of the _extremely_ blue room coupled with that elevator-like 'thing' that he could see, with the non-moving clock above it.

As usual, Theodore was the only one in the Velvet Room. The Velvet Room assistant had nearly given Shinjiro the shock of his life one day when one moment, he is in the lounge watching television, the next moment, he is who-knows-where.

Theodore had explained everything about the Velvet Room to him, the dynamics and everything. In the usual way, the Wild Cards are usually the only ones allowed in the Velvet Room, when 'Master Igor' called for them. But Shinjiro is an exception to that rule. The Velvet Room exists in a place with no time and no space. Basically, no time passes at all in the Velvet Room.

Shinjiro grumbled as he rubbed the back of his head. "You know, where I came from, it's considered rude to interrupt someone's sleep," he grumbled.

Theodore cracked a small smile. "My apologies," he said formally. "But I called you here for a reason."

Shinjiro grumbled, slumping even deeper into the chair that always appeared whenever he was dragged here. "And that is?"

"It's about Yuuki-sama," said Theodore seriously. _That_ woke Shinjiro up immediately. "What are you going to do about the current and future events?"

"I don't know." Shinjiro admitted. "I want to change it. I want to prevent Kirijo's father from dying. I want to make sure that Amada don't do something _that_ stupid again. I want to make sure that Yuuki doesn't come into much contact with that Mochizuki kid, if any. I want to make sure that she…" He gulped. "T-That Yuuki doesn't die after battling Nyx. But…"

"You're afraid that it will change the wheels of Fate." Theodore reasoned. "Aragaki Shinjiro, the Wild Cards exist for a reason. They have an important role to play. Whenever someone with the Wild Card ability appears, they are usually the 'key'. The same goes for Yuuki-sama. She has an important role to play here with the near revival of Nyx."

"What should I do?" Shinjiro whispered. "I don't want Yuuki to die. But… I don't want Nyx revived either!"

"Nyx is the embodiment of Death itself." Theodore answered calmly. "The end of everything. That is Nyx. As long as people wish for Death, Nyx will always appear. Aragaki Shinjiro, balance must be kept at all times. With Death, there is always Hope. With Hatred, there is always Love. With Despair, there is always _Friendship.__"_

"What the hell does that mean?" Shinjiro frowned.

Theodore sighed. "Even I can't bend the rules of Fate here, Aragaki Shinjiro. I can however tell you this: to defeat Death, one must first overcome your fear of Death." He glanced knowingly at Shinjiro's guilty face. Once upon a time, this young man before him had wished for Death above all else after all. Until he had met Yuuki, that is. "The one thing that all humans fear most in the world is Death itself. If you want to defeat Nyx, you must first overcome your fear of Death. _You __must __not __fear __Death._ That is the only way to save Yuuki-sama, and to defeat Nyx. The question here now is, Aragaki Shinjiro, can you do it?"

**XXXXXX**

_~July 24, Iwatodai Dorm, Early Morning~_

'_What __the __hell __does __he __mean __by __that?__'_ Shinjiro thought grumpily as he made his way out of his room, having changed into his uniform. As always, he is the first one up and awake. _'__How __on __earth __am __I __supposed __to __bring __about __Nyx__'__s __defeat __**without **__Yuuki __dying?__'_

"_That's unlawful entry! Didn't we tell you to stay in the command room at night?"_

Shinjiro blinked as he had one foot on the first step of the staircase, craning his neck upwards towards the girls' floor; the forbidden territory that no guy is to set foot on, or face Kirijo's 'execution'. Not even Junpei had the guts to tread foot on the girls' floor.

"What is going on?" Shinjiro wondered before changing direction and walking _up_ _the_ _stairs_ instead. It is early morning, and they are just about to set off for school. The dorm rules are that no guy is to set foot on the girls' floor _at_ _night._

He found Yukari standing at Yuuki's doorway, slightly red in the face, with Aigis inside the room, along with a confused looking Yuuki who is still in her pajamas.

"What is going on?" Shinjiro asked, approaching the three girls.

Yukari brightened up when she saw him, and Yuuki smiled at him shyly. "Ah! Aragaki-sempai! Well, Aigis broke into Yuuki's room." She glanced at the blonde robot.

"I propose to be on standby in this room from now on. Is this acceptable?"

Yukari blanched. "W-Where is this coming from all of a sudden?" she demanded.

Shinjiro sighed. Knowing Aigis like how he does, he knew that the blonde robot rarely changes her mind once she had it made up, especially when it comes to Yuuki. "Isn't that all right? It's not like something is going to happen anyway. You might as well give in, Takeba. She doesn't look like she's going to budge on this matter."

"Uh…" Yukari looked nervous at this. "Well, you're both girls, so I guess that it's okay. It'll be pretty crowded in here though. Are you okay with that, Yuuki?"

"Uhh…" Yuuki muttered sleepily.

"Oh for goodness sake…" Yukari nearly groaned. "Get up and wash your face already! We're going to be late for school! And are you okay with Aigis sharing your room?"

"It's fine with me." Yuuki yawned and rubbed her eyes.

Shinjiro chuckled lowly to himself. He remembered many a time when Yuuki had slept over in his room. It might be easy to wake her up, but difficult to get her to keep her eyes open for more than ten minutes once you'd managed to get her up.

"Well, I guess that this will be Aigis' room from now on too." Yukari mused. She then nearly groaned when she saw Yuuki still looking half asleep. "For goodness sake, hurry up and wash your face already! We're going to be late."

"I will proceed to retrieve my equipment." Aigis announced, walking towards the door. "Is it all right to place the spare ammunition on the floor?"

"It's fine…" Yuuki slurred.

Yukari nearly freaked out at the word 'ammunition', much to Shinjiro's amusement.

"A-Ammo? N-No, no way!"

"But I must be by her side."

Yukari nearly groaned, silently pleading for Shinjiro to help, but the brunette senior firmly looked the other way, and thus, Yukari is on her own. "Oh well…" She nearly groaned. "I'll have a room prepared for you on the third floor, so you can stay nearby. And don't leave the dorm by yourself, okay?"

"I will do as commanded."

Yukari sighed. "I feel so tired all of a sudden," she groaned. "And I have practice this morning, so I gotta go." She shrugged and left.

"We're leaving in twenty, Yuuki. Think you can make it by that time?" Shinjiro asked the half-awake girl. "Aki is still trying to get Iori up."

"Yeah." Yuuki rubbed at her eyes.

"Everyone goes to a place called school in the morning." Aigis nodded to herself thoughtfully. "I comprehend."

Shinjiro rolled his eyes and left.

**XXXXXX**

_~Back Alley, After School~_

"You guys are starting to piss me off." Shinjiro snarled, turning and glaring at the three Strega members. "Just which part of 'I'm not telling you anything' do you _not_ understand? Or do you want me to translate it into English?"

"It seems like you have no need for the suppressants any longer." Jin stated, pushing his glasses up his nose, ignoring Shinjiro's comment. "But it looks like the rumours are true. You and your companions are trying to get rid of the Dark Hour."

Shinjiro narrowed his eyes. "Whom did you hear it from?" he questioned.

"It is none of your concern." Takaya stated. "It is up to each individual how he will use the strength granted to him. But to erase the Dark Hour would be denying the very power they possess. We cannot tolerate that."

Shinjiro narrowed his eyes.

One of the worst things about being in a coma is that he doesn't know _everything_ that has happened. Whenever Aki had visited him, he rarely talks about the bad stuff, apart from the entire Nyx business. Thus, he doesn't know just how the Dark Hour and the big Shadows fit into this entire scenario.

"You're welcome to try." Shinjiro hissed. "I won't let you have your way."

**XXXXXX**

_~Iwatodai Dorm, Evening~_

Shinjiro returned to the dorm in a very bad mood.

Meeting Strega always manages to put him into a bad mood. In fact, the only person who can turn his frown upside down is only Yuuki. Even Aki who is as dense and unobservant as he is had already noticed it.

"I'm back." Shinjiro grunted.

"Welcome back!" Yuuki chirped from where she is seated in the lounge, reading a novel of some sort, removing one of the headphones from her ears. There isn't anyone else in the lounge, and Shinjiro guessed that they must either be in their rooms or not back from school yet, especially Kirijo with her Student Council duties.

"You're alone?"

"Kirijo-sempai and Sanada-sempai are still at school. Yukari and Junpei are in their rooms, as is Ken-kun." Shinjiro felt his eye twitch at that name. Amada Ken had joined them in their dorm the moment that they have returned from their Yakushima trip, though he hasn't joined SEES officially _yet._ "Fuuka is in the kitchen."

Shinjiro felt his eye twitching. "I-In the _kitchen?__"_ He gulped in horror.

He still hasn't forgotten what a nightmare that Fuuka could be in the kitchen. He couldn't take his eyes off her for even a moment whilst she is in the kitchen, as doing so would usually result in something being burnt.

Yuuki looked bewildered at his horrified tone. "Uh…yeah? What's wrong?"

Shinjiro didn't stop to answer, as he could already catch a whiff of something noxious, almost like something is burning his nostrils, and he almost groaned. This is First Lesson in the Kitchen with Fuuka all over again. He thanked his stars mentally that Koromaru hadn't joined SEES yet, though if memory serves him right, he should be joining any day now. Back then, whenever Fuuka is in the kitchen, Koromaru would usually bolt out of the dorm, and only returned hours later.

Shinjiro made an immediate dash into the kitchen where Fuuka is, with a light blue apron tied over her clothes to prevent it from dirtying, a ladle in one hand, and she didn't even seem to notice that black smoke is starting to waft out from whatever she is 'making', though 'destroying' should be a better term for it.

Yuuki entered the kitchen only mere moments after Shinjiro, staring with wide eyes at her friend, and taking a look around the messy kitchen when just a few moments earlier, had been a clean and tidy kitchen.

"Kirijo-sempai is going to kill me." Yuuki groaned, covering her eyes with her hand.

Shinjiro's eye twitched at the black smoke or 'fumes' should be a better way to describe it. Only Fuuka can use something that is supposed to be food, making something that ought to be better described as a nuclear weapon.

"What…are you doing, Yamagishi?" he deadpanned. "Are you the one causing this smell?"

Big understatement of the year.

Fuuka looked surprised. "Huh? Does it smell?" She cocked her head to one side in confusion, not even seeming to realise that her 'food' actually has black smoke wafting from it.

There was a very long silence as Yuuki and Shinjiro both stared at an embarrassed looking Fuuka for several moments without saying anything, with one having an incredulous expression on her face, the other having a pained expression on his face.

Shinjiro was the first one to break the awkward silence.

"…What're you doing?"

Fuuka looked embarrassed. "Um… I was trying to make beef stroganoff…" She trailed off.

More silence.

Yuuki glanced over the table of ingredients in silence, silently noting that the once clean and sparkling kitchen floor is currently covered in flour and goodness knows what else, along with little bits of food. The brunette nearly groaned when she saw this.

'_Fuuka better clean this all up before Kirijo-sempai gets back.'_

Meanwhile, Shinjiro was looking at the table of ingredients, with half of the table already being covered in flour, as is Fuuka's hands. "What about the roux?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, I didn't use any! I made it from scratch with flour." Fuuka sounded proud as she said that for some reason.

Shinjiro palmed his face with exasperation. "Don't start acting all proud _after_ you've burned it!" He nearly groaned.

"Huh?" Question marks were nearly floating above Fuuka's head, before she noticed the black and charred _thing_ that could not possibly be called food in the pan that she's using. Said pan that had quite an impressive hole in the middle. "Oh, you're right. This is burnt. What should I do?"

Yuuki nearly sweat dropped. For SEES' analyzer, she sure sucks at cooking. And how the hell did she cook until she can end up putting a hole in a top-grade cooking pan that Shinjiro had just bought the other day?

Shinjiro scratched the back of his head, sighing deeply. "You got any of those ingredients left?" he asked.

Fuuka nodded. "Oh yes. I bought extra of everything."

Shinjiro sighed. If he knew Fuuka like how he does, she is pretty much a disaster in the kitchen. He'd heard stories from Yuuki about how she has to literally keep an extra pair of eyes on Fuuka all the time during their time spent in the Cooking Club to prevent her from burning the whole place down.

"I'll make it. Watch and learn," said Shinjiro wearily, suddenly sounding and looking very tired. He then turned towards an amused Yuuki. "Yuuki, you okay if we have this for dinner?"

Over Shinjiro's shoulder, Yuuki saw the raising of Fuuka's eyebrows and the slight confusion in her eyes as the analyzer looked from Shinjiro to her, and a small smirk then lit up on her face. Yuuki resisted the urge to palm her face. _Great._ Now _another_ person knew about her and Shinjiro.

Yukari had cornered her the moment that they have returned from their Yakushima trip, and she had ended up spilling the beans to her best friend. The brunette had laughed, and had promised not to say anything, though she had said that they wouldn't be able to keep this under wraps for long, since there are no secrets in SEES, though she understood why they wanted to keep their relationship quiet. Yuuki knew for a fact that Junpei had suspected something, since he isn't as stupid as he looks.

"I'm okay with it." Yuuki smiled. "I'm looking forward to it."

Shinjiro blushed slightly. "Don't get your hopes up like that," he mumbled, one hand adjusting the beanie on his head.

Fuuka flushed. "I-I'm sorry, Yuuki-chan. Weren't you going to go out with Aragaki-sempai?"

"It's okay." Yuuki smiled, pulling out a chair and sitting down in it to watch them. "I have time today."

Shinjiro coughed into his hand to cover up his embarrassment. "Let's get started," he stated, tossing the remains of what was once food into the overflowing bin next to him. "Goodness…" He mumbled something incoherent beneath his breath as he glanced at the bin before glancing at the nearly full bottle of oil sitting innocently on the table. Shinjiro raised a confused eyebrow. "How much oil did you use?"

"I didn't use any." Fuuka chirped. "I thought that it would be healthier that way."

Yuuki bit on her lower lip to stifle her laughter at the look on Shinjiro's face. No oil used in a recipe for _beef_ _stroganoff?_ She might not be as great a chef as Shinjiro, but she is still pretty good in the kitchen. She has to be, in order to survive this long by herself as an orphan. Back when she is still living with her twin, she is the one handling all the cooking since Minato couldn't cook to save his life.

Shinjiro looked as if he is suffering from something as he had a pained expression on his face. "…How much red wine did you put in then?" he asked, looking pointedly at the half empty bottle of red wine on the table.

Fuuka shrugged. "I don't know. I poured it from the bottle until it looked like enough to me."

Yuuki was finding it very difficult to contain her amusement. _'__Something __tells __me __that __I__'__m __better __off __accepting __Fuuka__'__s __offer __to __join __the __Cooking __Club __before __she __burn __the __Home __Economics __classroom __down.__'_ Yuuki snickered.

Shinjiro said nothing for several moments, looking as if he is in severe pain, judging by the look on his face. "…How _long_ did you pour it then?" he asked at last, almost dreading the answer.

Fuuka looked almost hesitant to answer. Not surprising really, considering the fact that Shinjiro looked ready to either commit murder or to kill himself, judging by the look on his face, and Yuuki looked ready to explode with laughter behind him.

"Umm… Two or three seconds?" Fuuka offered unsurely.

"Is that a question or an answer?"

Shinjiro said nothing for several moments before examining the plate that contains the uncooked meat, studying it carefully. "This meat is pretty fatty," he said at last, turning towards Fuuka.

The meat rather looked like something that he had sometimes gotten for Koromaru as a special treat.

"Oh yes. I asked the butcher for the best that he had." Fuuka chirped.

Silence.

After a very long and agonizing sigh, Shinjiro pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly. "…There is so much wrong here, I don't even know where to begin," he muttered sarcastically, and Yuuki snickered. Fuuka looked confused. "Don't start messing around with recipes until you've improved your basic cooking skills. Seriously…" He nearly groaned, looking at the near to overflowing bin next to him. "Don't you feel bad at all for charring all this food?"

Fuuka looked guilty. "…I'm sorry."

Shinjiro sighed. "Now listen up. Prepare everything beforehand. Chop everything that needs to be chopped. Measure out all your seasonings too. That way, you won't panic while everything is cooking."

"Y-Yes. Um, memo, memo…" Fuuka muttered as she searched for a non-existent notepad, finally finding one on her person, scribbling everything down even as Shinjiro began cutting the ingredients quickly.

"Gotta cook the onions at low heat." Shinjiro instructed even as he adjusted the heat dial. "They'll taste better if they're cooked until they just start to get burned." He twitched as Fuuka began writing his words down word for word in that notepad of hers. "Put that notepad down and watch me!" He stated irritably, making Fuuka jump slightly. "Here's the meat. When you put it in…"

* * *

><p><em>~Naganaki Shrine, Night~<em>

Yuuki was still laughing hours later after the very delicious dinner that Shinjiro had cooked, much to the brunette senior's annoyance as they took the usual trek to Naganaki Shrine. They tend to spend a lot of their dates there, especially since the place is quiet, and also special to them.

The two were currently sitting down at the end of the slide of the playground, with Koromaru greeting them excitedly earlier on before bounding off to who-knows-where.

"Will you stop laughing already? It's not that funny!" Shinjiro fumed. "Dear me…" He shook his head. "And I've just bought that pan that Fuuka _ruined_ just last week too!" He mourned the demise of his _brand_ _new_ _pan._

"S-Sorry!" Yuuki laughed. "I'm starting to think that maybe I should take her offer to join the Cooking Club, if just to stop her from burning the school down."

"Yeah, you do that." Shinjiro grunted. He then sighed. "For some reason, every time something happens that pisses me off or puts me in a bad mood, you'll somehow always be there, doing something to distract me from it, or something happens."

"Did something happen?" Yuuki smiled.

"Nothing much." Shinjiro shook his head. He sighed, recalling how they'd left Fuuka behind to clean up the kitchen as they left the dorm, with the small girl panicking just how she is going to get everything cleaned up before Mitsuru and Akihiko return. "Good Heavens, I thought that Aki is bad enough in the kitchen!" Shinjiro shook his head. "He can't even boil water without burning it. Makes me wonder how he'd managed to survive all these years after leaving the orphanage."

That managed to get Yuuki to stop laughing immediately. She gave a small smile. "Yeah, I wonder how Minato-nii is doing too," she mused, resting her chin on her palms, with her elbows resting on her knees. "He's hopeless in the kitchen. Can't even boil an egg on his own."

Shinjiro perked up. "Speaking of that, aren't you going to Inaba for a fellowship program with your tennis team?" he asked. "I heard Kirijo saying something about that earlier in the week."

Yuuki nodded. "Yeah. Just some training with Yasoinaba's team. I told Minato-nii about my brief visit to Inaba, and he said that he'll take me sightseeing." She smiled wistfully. "It feels like it's been so long since I've last seen my brother. He's attending Yasoinaba High too. So we might have more time together than expected. I'm looking forward to it."

"Well, it's too bad that I can't go with you. But I need to take some extra tests, or the teachers threatened that they will make me repeat a year." Shinjiro grunted. "Just stay safe, you hear me?"

Yuuki laughed. "I'll be fine! I think that it's Iwatodai that is much more dangerous than Inaba," she joked, and Shinjiro cracked a smile. She then turned serious. "Hey sempai. I've been thinking about this ever since Ken-kun had asked me to help him with his Mathematics homework, but… When are you going to tell him about his mother?"

There was a light sound over at the shrine just then, but the two took no notice of it.

Shinjiro winced. "Do I have to?"

"Yes." Yuuki said sternly. "I think that it's better if he hears this from you directly before something bad happens. If he finds this out by himself, I'm not even going to imagine what his reaction will be." She sighed. "If anything, I kind of understand just what Ken-kun is going through. Like him, I saw how my parents died as well. Only in my case, I was still too little then to understand. But my parents died in an accident. There is no one to blame—"

'_Except __for __the __Dark __Hour __and __that __Mochizuki __kid.__'_ Shinjiro winced.

Oh, he knew all right. Electronics don't work during the Dark Hour, but it doesn't stop 'time' from 'flowing' like how it normally does during normal time. It's just unfortunate that Yuuki's father had been driving just as the Dark Hour begun, and the car spun out of control, killing both of her parents. It is a miracle that Yuuki had even survived that night.

"—but in Ken-kun's case, he saw Castor killed his mother as he has the Potential." Yuuki explained calmly to Shinjiro. "How do you think that he will feel? And if he should join SEES one day, and you know as well as I do that he will, especially with how he kept asking Sanada-sempai for training tips, he will know that the Persona that had killed his mother is _yours,_ even with how…different that Castor looks like now."

The evolved forms of Personas might look different from how they usually look like, but there is still some resemblance to their original forms. Castor, or Sandalphon as he is known as now, is no exception.

"I… I'm just afraid." Shinjiro admitted. "You have no idea how much that I kept blaming myself for it ever since that day. I know that nothing I can do now can make up to Amada the great wrong that I'd committed, but…"

"Dying isn't the way to go." Yuuki said simply. "Death doesn't solve everything. It is the coward's way. To live on, and to face things bravely… _That_ is true courage." She smiled at Shinjiro's shocked expression, before closing her eyes briefly. "Everyone experiences sorrow. Everyone has a past that they want to forget, and everyone make mistakes. The past may define who we were, but it is the present that shapes who we will become. Death is all but part and parcel of life." Yuuki smiled at Shinjiro. "The counselor that I visited as a kid after my parents' deaths ten years ago told me that once. I didn't understand it then, but it is now that I understand it a little." Yuuki peeked at her watch. "Should we go? The Dark Hour is starting soon, and we should get going."

"Y-Yeah." Shinjiro nodded dumbly as he allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

Is this Fate at work? Just as he's racking his brain to figure out just what that weird riddle that Theodore is talking about is all about, Yuuki practically handed him the answer on a silver platter.

Neither one of the two teenagers noticed the shocked form of an elementary student with brunette hair and an orange hoodie stepping out of the shrine mere moments after their footsteps died away, a look of hatred in his eyes.

"He is…"

**XXXXXX**

_~July 29, Iwatodai Dorm, Dark Hour~_

"Here it comes." Junpei sighed, putting down his cards as the Dark Hour arrived, illuminating his room in an eerie colour of glowing green. "The Dark Hour."

"I would have thought that you'll get used to it by now." Yuuki rolled her eyes. "But you should be studying for the upcoming exams as well. Have you even opened your books at least once?"

"Well…"

Fuuka's voice interrupted them just then, with the analyzer speaking through her Persona.

"Sorry to wake you! I detect a Shadow! Please hurry to the fourth floor!"

"A Shadow?" Junpei frowned even as Yuuki headed out of the room immediately, going towards the command room. "Hey! Wait for me, Yuuki-tan!"

Yukari, Mitsuru and Fuuka were in the command room when the two arrived, with only Akihiko missing. Shinjiro wasn't present either. Fuuka had her Persona out, and was concentrating hard, with Yukari and Mitsuru keeping watch over her.

"What's going on?" Junpei asked.

"There's a Shadow in the city." Mitsuru answered. "Yamagishi found it by chance."

"But…the moon isn't full yet." Yukari bit on her lower lip nervously.

"Actually, it seems to be just a normal Shadow." Fuuka corrected Yukari. "However, it _is_ outside of Tartarus."

"It's near the Naganaki Shrine." Mitsuru explained. "Akihiko and Aragaki went ahead since they were both in the vicinity. I'm sure that between the both of them, they can handle any threat, but let's get ready just in case."

"Gotcha!" Junpei grinned and nodded. Catching the worried look on his leader's face, he nudged Yuuki. "Don't worry, Yuuki-tan! Aragaki-sempai will be fine! He's tough."

Mitsuru had an odd look on her face at Junpei's comment, and behind her, Yukari palmed her face in exasperation. "Aragaki?" she echoed. "Is there anything that I should know about, Hariyama?"

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Thankfully for Yuuki, the phone that the Kirijo Company had specially made for SEES that worked during the Dark Hour rang just then, much to Yuuki's relief. She has no desire to stand around all night trying to explain things to the redhead senior.

"Yes, this is Fuuka." Fuuka answered.

Akihiko's voice cackled through the transmission, enabling everyone in the room to listen to the conversation. Every SEES member had one of the special phones that they were told to carry with them at all times in case of emergency.

"We're at Naganaki Shrine. Sorry, but I think that you guys had better come. Right away." Akihiko sounded worried. "Hey Shinji, how is it?"

"What's wrong? Is it a powerful one?" Mitsuru asked, noticing how Yuuki tensed up at that.

"No, the Shadow's been defeated." Akihiko replied. "In fact, it was already defeated when Shinji and I got here."

"What happened?"

"Aki, hand that over." Shinjiro's voice could be heard over the phone. "Kirijo? We're both fine. The Shadow that Yamagishi told us about had already been defeated when we arrived at the shrine by someone else. Another Persona user. But the little fella's been injured. And quite badly too. I did whatever first aid that I knew, but I'm still no doctor. Is it possible for you to call for a vet during the Dark Hour? I want to save him if we could."

_Beep._

The transmission ended, leaving Mitsuru staring at the phone in her hand with an incredulous expression on her face.

"Vet?" Junpei echoed in confusion.

"And 'little fella'?" Yukari asked in confusion. "Who is he talking about?"

* * *

><p><em>~Naganaki Shrine~<em>

A while Shiba-Inu that three of the juniors were familiar with lay on his side, covered in blood. Shinjiro was kneeling by the dog, trying to stop the bleeding, but to no avail. The dog whined at the teens as they approached him.

"Koro-chan!" Fuuka gasped, rushing to the dog's side. "Are you okay, Koro-chan?"

"You know this dog?" Mitsuru asked in confusion.

"Yeah." Yukari nodded, watching Shinjiro trying to stop the bleeding. "Everyone around here does. We have to help!"

"The bleeding is slowing down now, but we have to get him to a vet." Shinjiro informed them, not looking up from his work.

"Man… He's one tough fighter." Akihiko shook his head, watching his best friend at work. "He defeated that Shadow all by himself." He told them, impressed.

"Wait, does this mean…that this dog is a Persona user?" Junpei exclaimed.

Koromaru barked.

"He says, 'This is a place of peace, so I protected it'." Aigis translated for Koromaru, either ignoring or not noticing the weird looks that every SEES member apart from Shinjiro gave her. "There are flowers over there." She pointed towards the side of the shrine gate where a bouquet of white lilies laid.

"Those flowers… They must be for the priest who died in the accident." Fuuka said thoughtfully.

"So he really was guarding this place." Yukari mused.

Junpei groaned. "Uh, Ai-chan? Don't tell me that you can translate dog language too?" he asked.

"Canines do not have their own language. However, speech is not the only means of communication."

"This fella really is a rare breed." Akihiko smiled, patting Koromaru gently on the head.

"Confirmed."

"He's not the only one." Junpei deadpanned. "But really… First a robot as a Persona user, and now a dog? What next?"

"Alright, let's report to the Chairman, so we can conclude this mission." Mitsuru announced, ignoring Junpei. "As for a vet, it may be midnight, but I believe that I can arrange for one." She said, reaching into her pocket for her phone.

"Kirijo, it's the middle of the Dark Hour. At least wait for it to end." Shinjiro called to Mitsuru without turning around, and she flushed. "I think that this fella can hold out until then. He's one tough cookie." He patted Koromaru on the head, and the white Shiba-Inu nudged at Shinjiro's hand gently with his head.

"Arf."

**XXXXXX**

_~July 30, Midnight~_

Yuuki sighed as Pharos left her room as suddenly as he'd arrived, with his leaving being the end of the Dark Hour. She had gotten used to her little 'visitor's' coming and going by now, along with the cryptic comments that he always brings with him. Koromaru is currently at the vet and is still getting treated, though by the looks of things, it looks like he is going to make it.

Yuuki glanced at the calendar on her desk, flipping the page over to the month of August, seeing a red circle circling the date of August the first. She smiled to herself. "I see. Tomorrow's the day." She mused.

She flipped opened her phone and started to key in a message:

_Coming to Inaba tomorrow! Can't wait to see you there! How are you doing, Minato-nii? See you!_

* * *

><p><em>AN: Sorry for the long hiatus! I have a serious case of writer's block for this story, and is kind of stuck on how to continue. So I have a sudden few new ideas for stories, and is unsure if I should start those, considering the fact that I have about twenty six stories on my account, waiting to be completed._

_Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Also, if you have any ideas for this story, I'll love to hear it! Until next time!_

_**Upcoming Stories:**_

_**Into the Ashes (Harry Potter)**_

_After having the wizarding world turn on her like it did after the war, Hilda Potter fled, and in desperation, used a forbidden power that she swore to never use only to be sent on an even bigger task. A task that is even greater than Voldemort himself. HP/Tsubasa crossover. Fye/Hilda_


	10. Inaba

**Warnings: **Slight violence. Suicidal implications. Lemon scenes.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Persona 3 Portable or any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Ten: Inaba<strong>

_~August 01, Yasoinaba High School, Daytime~_

The sounds of a bus pulling up in front of Yasoinaba High School caught the attention of the students in the classrooms, particularly those on the lower levels. As the morning lesson bell hasn't gone off yet, the students in the classrooms gathered at their windows curiously.

"Are those the arrivals from Gekkoukan High?" One curious male student wondered. "Man, they're sure cute though." He almost drooled.

"Why can't we ever get some girls like that here?" His friend whined, only to freeze when he felt more than saw the death glares of the girls in his class.

"Want to repeat that again to my face, Sato-kun?" One of the girls growled, cracking her knuckles.

"Umm…"

A handsome dark haired boy laughed, his school tie tied loosely around his collar, his school blazer left off. His hair fell down perfectly around his face, and his eyes were a cool sky blue. He then turned towards the only student still at their desk.

To be exact, a _sleeping_ student who is still asleep at his desk.

"Hey Minato, aren't you going to see?" He called out to his best friend.

The young man sleeping at the desk raised his head partially sleepily, blinking bleary blue eyes, running his fingers through his blue hair. "Hmm? See what?" He stifled a yawn.

"Gekkou High." Another classmate stated, jerking one thumb over his shoulder. "And isn't there anything you do besides sleep? I wonder how you can remain at the top of the class _and_ our year level despite you sleeping the entire day." He then turned back to the window. "Man… There sure are some cute girls in their tennis team…" He nearly drooled.

Hariyama Minato blinked, his mind slowly focusing itself as his friend's words echoed around in his mind.

_Cute… Gekkou High… Girls… Tennis team…_

Minato blinked slowly. _'Gekkou High… Didn't Yuuki say that she'd be coming to Inaba with her tennis team? Is it today?'_

He then got up from his seat and made a mad dash out of his classroom, confusing his entire class, including half the population of girls in his class that were eyeing him dreamily as usual. Ishigawa Ren, the dark haired boy, blinked in confusion as he saw Minato's seat empty in a few moments.

"What? Minato, where's the fire?" He called out.

* * *

><p>Yuuki stared up at the school building of Yasoinaba High. In terms of size, it is definitely smaller than Gekkoukan High. And seeing as how Inaba is a rather small town as it is, it isn't too surprising.<p>

'_So this is Yasoinaba,' _she thought.

"What a rustic school." Ms Kanou remarked, fanning herself. "There's no convenience stores nearby, and no clubs either." She turned towards the tennis team gathered behind her. "I want all of you to be on your best behaviour, okay?"

The Gekkoukan High students bowed respectfully to their Yasoinaba counterparts. "It's a pleasure to meet you." They chorused.

"It's a pleasure for us too!"

"Shall we get moving to the gym then?" A third year Yasoinaba girl who seemed to be the tennis team captain stepped forward, a warm smile on her face.

"That sounds—"

"_Yuuki!"_

Both teams blinked owlishly as they turned as one towards the source of the yell, and saw a blue haired boy running towards them, dressed in the school uniform of Yasoinaba minus the school blazer.

A warm smile spread over Yuuki's face, and she squealed, "Mina-nii!" as she jumped onto her older brother, hugging him around the neck.

Minato laughed as he caught his sister easily, nearly lifting her several inches off the floor.

The tennis captain of Yasoinaba blinked slowly in confusion, and several of the girls in her tennis team glared hatefully at Yuuki. "Erm…" she coughed as she took one step forward, ignoring the confused looks on the faces of the other half of her team who was _not_ trying to glare holes through Yuuki's head. "Hariyama-kun, what are you doing here?"

"Hariyama?" Rio echoed, looking from Yuuki to the blue haired boy whom she's holding. "Yuuki, do you know him? He has the same last name as you."

"Yeah!" Yuuki smiled, getting off of her brother. "He's my older brother." She explained, jerking her thumb towards Minato who gave a light one shoulder shrug lazily, too lazy to wave at Rio in greeting. "My older twin brother." She jabbed at Minato gently in the ribs. "Hey, Mina-nii! Introduce yourself! You've got a tongue, haven't you?"

"Hariyama Minato. Pleasure." Minato drawled, and Rio, along with nearly the entirety of Gekkoukan High tennis team sweat dropped.

Rio twitched. "Not a social butterfly, are you?" she remarked. "You're totally different from Yuuki!" The other girls in the tennis team nodded. "Are you sure you both are really twins?"

"_Minato!"_

Another shout rang through the air just then, and everyone turned only to see a dark haired boy running out of the school building. One of the juniors in Yasoinaba sighed. "Ishigawa, what brings you here?"

"Get your ass back into class right now!" Ishigawa Ren ignored the speaker from earlier, and addressed Minato directly. "Yasou-sensei is about to throw a fit!" He looked curiously at Yuuki before bowing to her politely, a gesture that was returned.

The captain of Yasoinaba coughed, bringing attention to her when it looks like Minato didn't seem to want to leave his sister's side. "Well, our training will take up most of the afternoon anyway. Your classes will end around the same time when our training ends. Hariyama, you might as well go and attend class, since you'll be left standing around even if you wait for your sister."

Yuuki smiled and shoved her brother on the shoulder gently. "Go ahead. I'll still be here until tomorrow. Right?" She turned towards Rio who nodded.

"I'll wait for you outside the school," said Minato before he bowed politely to the two tennis teams and went back into the school building. Ren followed his example before an awkward silence fell.

The captain of Yasoinaba coughed, breaking the silence. "Well… That was awkward," she remarked. "Let's get moving to the gym."

**XXXXXX**

_~Yasoinaba High School, Gym~_

"Let's start off with basic drills." Rio suggested once the teams on both sides have changed into their training gear, and was currently doing some light warm up exercises. Yuuki, as usual, had been the first to finish, alongside Rio. "Might as well try going all the way to the mountains for our runs. Our region's pretty flat, so this will be good practice."

The Yasoinaba students begin looking at each other. "…Aren't we supposed to like, bond in a fellowship?" One remarked. "Why's she bringing up stuff like basic drills?"

On the other hand, the Gekkoukan High students groaned as one the moment they heard the words 'basic drills', 'runs' and 'practice' come out of Rio's mouth. In Rio's dictionary, a basic drill is equivalent to a full day training in one of those Spartan camps. So far, Yuuki is the only one out of all of them who could manage to survive Rio's insane training.

"Who's the liar who said that this'd be a paradise with hot springs?" A Gekkoukan junior groaned.

Rio ignored the groans and complaints coming from her team, and continued as if there have been no interruptions. "Afterwards, let's do a couple sets of muscle training, and then a match."

Even Yuuki paled at this. A practice run with basic drills, and muscle training coupled with a match is enough to even wear _her_ out, and she has easily the best stamina and reflexes out of the entire team, next to Rio, thanks to her time spent in Tartarus. She still wants to be able to use her legs once they go home.

A girl's voice rang out throughout the gym just then, drowning out the light groans from the Gekkoukan High students. "How about…the losing side cleans up afterwards?"

Everyone turned towards the source of the voice only to see a dark skinned girl dressed in the school uniform of Gekkoukan High running towards them. Rio and Yuuki were both surprised to see her. "Whoa, Yuko?" Rio questioned. "What're you doing here?"

"I've got my reasons," said Yuko. "Anyways, wouldn't you guys take the challenge more seriously if there was something at stake?" She grinned.

"That's true." Yuuki nodded in agreement.

"It's not like you guys usually care about winning anyways, so why not?" Yuko shrugged.

Rio looked cross. "Are you saying that's how our team is?" she huffed. "Well, maybe you're right. Alright, then not only will the losing school have to clean up… Let's add ten wind sprints to the bet!"

The Gekkoukan students blanched. "It's up to _ten?" _They yowled.

"Rio, are you trying to murder us?" A junior screeched.

"We can't lose!" The Yasoinaba students muttered.

And as a result…

Yuko was panting like crazy. "Whewwww… We're finally finished cleaning up," she panted, leaning on the mop.

"Okay, time for the sprints then!" Rio cheered, sounding extremely excited, ignoring the groans coming from the rest of her team, and the sighs of relief from Yasoinaba.

Yuuki giggled, despite herself. "Rio, give them a break."

"Me too?" Yuko pointed at herself, not looking pleased.

"Of course. This was your idea," said Rio.

Yuko looks as if she was about to die. "Yes, Ma'am," she whined.

**XXXXXX**

_~Yasoinaba High School, Front Gate~_

"My muscles are still hurting." Yuuki groaned, rubbing at her shoulders. "Rio, you've gone a little overboard. I'm betting that the rest of the team will probably sleep through our wakeup call tomorrow. YOU'LL be waking them up, if that's the case, seeing as how it's YOUR fault."

Rio grinned sheepishly. "Sorry," she apologised, before turning towards Yuko who looked half-dead on her feet. "Yuko, you still alive back there?"

"Yeah… Just barely though." Yuko groaned, dragging herself over to where Rio and Yuuki are. "Are they preparing an inn for us to stay at or something? I just want to sleep the entire day through."

"Yeah, I've heard that they're preparing one for us, since we're not going back to Iwatodai tonight," said Yuuki with a nod.

"And did you hear that they have a natural hot spring there?" Rio sounded excited. "Wanna wash each other's backs later?"

"Sounds like fun," said Yuuki. "I hadn't been to a hot spring before."

"This is so fun!" Rio chirped. "Last year's fellowship wasn't too far from our school. This place is so laid back. I love it." She looked around. "That shopping district seems pretty lively though." She gestured towards a large building where the word 'Junes' could be seen hanging over it. "What a peaceful town… It'd be nice to live here."

At that moment, a girl with short dark hair who seemed to still be in middle school approached them just then. "Are you the club members from Gekkoukan High School?" she asked. "The Amagi Inn sent me to get you."

Rio was surprised. "Huh? Oh. T-Thank you very much," she said, bowing politely. "Um… You don't work there, do you?"

The girl shook her head. "No. I'm just helping out. I'm Amagi Yukiko, the daughter of the hostess at the Amagi Inn," she introduced herself.

"The hostess's daughter…" Yuko trailed off. "So does that make you a junior hostess? Cool! Oh, are you in high school?"

Yukiko looked taken aback at this. "No… I'm still in middle school."

"You're in middle school and you're already helping with the family business?" Yuko looked awed. "Man, talk about responsible… So are you going to inherit the business?"

Yukiko looked troubled at that. "That… I don't know yet," she muttered.

Yuuki laughed as she clamped her hands over Yuko's mouth, seeing that her eager questions were making the younger girl nervous. "Ahahahaha! Forgive her, she really doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut."

"And don't stick your nose in other people's business!" Rio reprimanded.

"Sworry." Yuko mumbled out from around Yuuki's hands.

Yukiko giggled. "Oh, that's all right," she said. "It's fun chatting with people from outside town."

Just then, a woman dressed in an elaborate kimono approached them just then. "Ah, Yuki-chan! Did you take the car keys?" she asked.

"Oh, Kasai-san." Yukiko greeted. "Car keys?" She fumbled about in her pockets. "Why would I— Huh?" She tilted her head in confusion. "What's this?" She pulled out a bunch of keys from her pocket that seemed to be car keys. "I-I'm sorry. I must've mistaken them for my house keys."

The woman laughed good naturedly as she took the keys from Yukiko. "No worries. Well, I'm heading out to get some groceries."

"Oh, do you want me to go instead?" Yukiko asked.

"N-No, that's fine!" The woman said. "No need to send you on that kind of errand, Yuki-chan! Plus, they'd be too heavy for you." She then seemed to remember something. "By the way, Chie-chan stopped by. She said that she needed help with her homework."

Yukiko looked surprised. "Oh. Okay."

The woman then turned towards the three Gekkoukan High girls. "Oh, are you all guests?" she smiled. "Forgive me for rambling on like that. I'm a waitress at the Amagi Inn. I hope you enjoy your stay tonight." She then bowed and left.

"Yuuki!"

The four girls turned only to see Minato approaching them with the Ishigawa Ren guy from earlier, both with their school bags with them. Minato had his school blazer slung over one shoulder.

Yukiko brightened up at the sight of the two boys. "Minato-sempai! Ren-sempai!" she bowed to them.

"Hey, Yukiko-chan." Ren greeted with a grin.

"I promised you that I'd take you sightseeing." Minato smiled at Yuuki. "It's been so long since we've last seen each other, and phone calls and emails just aren't the same. It's fine, isn't it? If I steal my sister away from you for just one night?" He looked towards Rio and Yuko.

"It's fine." Rio laughed. "I'll inform Kanou-sensei about it so she don't freak out. Have a good time, Yuuki! Just remember to be back before nine! We'll take care of your belongings and make sure that they end up in the right room, so have fun!"

"Well, let's go then." Minato smiled. "Our bikes are over there."

The three of them then walked away. Yukiko then turned to smile at the two remaining girls. "Well, shall we go then? This way."

* * *

><p><em>~Yasoinaba High School, Bike Racks~<em>

"I don't believe that I've ever introduced myself." Ren smiled at Yuuki as they approached the bike racks at the back of the school. "I'm Ishigawa Ren. Minato's best friend." He offered his hand in a handshake that was accepted. "But you're sure different from your brother though. Are you sure you both are really twins?"

"Ren…" Minato hissed warningly. "Are you hitting on my sister?"

"Chill out." Ren raised his hands. "Just being friendly here, dude."

Yuuki giggled as Minato unlocked his bike and wheeled it out from the racks, tossing Yuuki a helmet, even as Ren did the same thing. "Well, I see that you've settled in all right." Yuuki commented, buckling on the helmet. "I was worried that you won't be able to settle in a new town, with your anti-social attitude."

Minato grunted. "I could say the same thing about you."

"I've made some great friends. So don't worry." Yuuki beamed. "Besides, I'm just a train ride away from Inaba. You could always come and visit."

"Uh oh. I'm low on gas." Ren remarked, looking at his gas meter. He then glanced at the twins. "Sorry, but think that we could make a side trip to the gas station?"

Minato twitched. "You mean you're coming too?"

"Of course." Ren smiled. "I want to get to know your sister too! She's so different from you, and I want to know just how she survived growing up with Mr. Anti-Social over here."

Yuuki giggled at this, but Minato didn't look pleased. "It's fine, Mina-nii." Yuuki chirped. "I kind of want to know your friends here too."

Minato sighed, giving in at last. "Whatever. The gas station first, right?" he enquired, and Ren nodded. The blue haired teen then got onto his bike, with Yuuki getting on behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Hang on tight, Yuuki. You've never ridden pillion before, right?"

"Well, does a regular bicycle count?" Yuuki asked sheepishly, recalling the number of times when she'd rode pillion on Junpei's bicycle.

"Afraid not," said Ren cheerfully, getting onto his bike as well. "All right. First stop: Moel Gas Station!"

**XXXXXX**

_~Moel Gas Station, Daytime~_

"Welcome!"

The gas attendant busied himself with filling the gas tanks of both Minato and Ren's bikes, as the two boys headed into the convenience store of the gas station, saying something about buying some food and drinks for that night or something. Apparently, the two are roommates in the same dorm.

Yuuki had stayed behind with the bikes, looking at the vehicles that headed in and out of the gas station that isn't considered a lot, for Iwatodai's standards that is. The gas attendant filling the gas then stood up and Yuuki glanced at him.

He wore the same orange and white uniform that all the gas attendants of Moel Gas Station wore, with wavy long gray hair, also with light brown eyes and a slightly tanned complexion.

"You a visitor from the outside?" The gas station enquired.

Yuuki smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I'm from Gekkoukan High School. We're here for a tennis fellowship, and my brother offered to take me around, since it has been over a year since we last saw each other."

"Ah, Gekkoukan High." The gas attendant smiled. "I've heard that students from that school will be coming today." He grinned at Yuuki. "In a small town like this, we get news fast." He explained. "Nice to meet you." He offered his hand.

Yuuki grasped his hand lightly, and she narrowed her eyes lightly as she felt a light tingle go through her body, and looked at the gas attendant who looked bewildered and surprised before he smiled. Minato and Ren approached them just then, with bags in their hands.

"I see. Well, I'll get back to work then." The gas attendant walked past Yuuki. He then lowered his voice. "I'll look forward to seeing what you can do in one year…if you can live past this."

Yuuki's eyes widened and she turned to look over her shoulder, but the gas attendant was far away by now. Minato and Ren reached Yuuki and their bikes just then.

"Something wrong, Yuuki?" Minato asked.

"Nothing's the matter." Yuuki shook her head, smiling a small smile at her brother.

"Well, I guess it's really none of my business," said Minato. "Are you hungry?" A growl from Yuuki's stomach answered the question, and the brunette blushed. Minato laughed. "Well, I guess that answers that question." He got onto his bike, with Yuuki getting on behind him.

"Well, come to think of it, I'm hungry too." Ren grinned. "Shall we go to get lunch?"

* * *

><p><em>~Junes Department Store, Evening~<em>

Lunchtime at some restaurant in town called Aiya was rather amusing, at least it is for Ren. He had at least found one thing that the twins have in common. They both have bottomless pits for stomachs, since both of them managed to finish off three deluxe bowls of pork ramen each before declaring themselves full.

Minato had then dragged Yuuki and Ren to the Junes Department Store, a rather popular hangout for the high school students, and also a favourite haunt for the townspeople.

"Well, here is the Junes Department Store." Minato waved his hand towards the building, getting off his bike, and taking Yuuki's helmet from her. "Probably nothing on the stores that you have in Iwatodai, but this is the largest and most popular store in Inaba. We can literally get anything that we want here. Back when Ren and I were first assigned our _very empty_ dorm room that is virtually empty except for a desk and a bed, we went shopping for furnishing."

Ren grinned. "Yeah, we nearly went broke by the end of it," he commented. "Thank goodness that Hanamura-san, the owner of Junes, was kind enough to give us a discount on it, on the fact that we were still students, and he seems to be pretty fond of Minato here."

"I was just his son's tutor, Ren! Get over it!" Minato jabbed his elbow into his best friend's ribs.

"Oof!"

"Who are those two?" Yuuki asked, ignoring the drama that is her brother and his best friend, her eyes following two younger students, with one looking to be in high school, maybe a freshman.

Minato glanced towards the two whom Yuuki was looking at only to see a pretty girl with wavy light brown hair and eyes, dressed in a school uniform similar in fashion to Yasoinaba High. A cheeky looking younger boy with brown hair and eyes who is wearing a uniform similar in colours to the one that Yukiko was wearing earlier was following the girl.

"Oh." Ren exchanged looks with Minato. "The boy is Hanamura Yousuke. He's the son of the Junes' boss. Minato is his tutor."

Minato grunted. "I've never met a more hopeless case than him," he grumbled. "The girl goes to Yasaogami High, the sister high school to our Yasoinaba." He told Yuuki. "Her name is Konishi Saki. She's a worker at Junes, and the daughter of the liquor store owner around the corner. There's a bit of bad blood between the two owners though, thus we're surprised that Konishi actually wanted to work here, though I suppose that she didn't really have a choice anyway, as her family is in financial difficulties."

"What's up with the boy following her?" Yuuki asked, following the two with her eyes. She can see that the Konishi girl seems irritated, but didn't let it show on her face much.

"He has a crush on Konishi." Ren snickered. "It's kind of endearing in a way, but even I can tell that Konishi isn't too fond of him, despite how she treats Yousuke."

"Konishi-sempai! Konishi-sempai!" Yousuke ran after Konishi.

"Hana-chan, why are you following me?"

Ren stifled his chuckles. Minato and Yuuki exchanged grins. This scene reminded Yuuki of one of Sanada-sempai's endless fangirls and the way that they stalked him all over the school until Shinjiro had put a stop to it.

"I need some help with my English homework!"

Konishi Saki resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Minato-sempai is coming by to tutor you tomorrow, right? Ask him then."

"I want to get it done by tonight." Yousuke whined. "Besides, I want Konishi-sempai to tutor me."

Konishi put on a forced smile. "Hana-chan, I'm working now," she said. "Besides, Minato-sempai is better than me when it comes to tutoring. He even tutors _me_ and my brother. Besides, I can't stop to talk now. I'm working."

She then turned around a corner, with Yousuke close on her heels. As soon as the two were out of earshot and sight, Ren, Minato and Yuuki nearly collapsed into laughter.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh God! How embarrassing!"

"Poor Yousuke." Yuuki giggled.

"Poor Yousuke? More like poor Konishi." Ren chuckled. "She had to deal with all that drama!"

**XXXXXX**

_~Amagi Inn, Evening~_

Minato and Ren ended up giving Yuuki a tour of the entire town.

So far, she's met everyone – from the town's local delinquent, Tatsumi Kanji to his textile store owner mother; to the detective Dojima Ryotaro and his young daughter; and to some teacher in Yasaogami High that both Minato and Ren doesn't like in the least that they called 'King Moron'.

It was nearly nine o'clock by the time that Minato had dropped Yuuki off at the Amagi Inn, the town's finest and longest established inn. Yuko and Rio have both just stepped in as well, much to Yuuki's surprise. Apparently, they have felt so hungry that they both decided to get something to eat, getting Ms. Kanou to accept their room for them.

"Wow, this room is nice!" Yuuki commented, entering the room that she was given to share with Rio, already finding her bags in a corner together with Rio's.

"So huge… So luxurious…" Yuko looked about in awe. "Is it really okay for people like us to stay here? Won't we get a scolding?"

"From who?" Yuuki asked.

"Umm… I don't know? The government?" Yuko suggested.

Yuuki sighed. "Is that a question or an answer?"

"What are you both talking about?" Rio asked. "And this isn't your room, Yuko."

Yuko looked angry at that. "Yeah, about that! You gotta listen to this!" she said. "There was some mistake, and I ended up getting stuck in the same room as Kaz!"

Rio blinked slowly. "Kaz…" she muttered. "You mean Kazushi? Wait, he's here too?" She asked. "Huh?" She tilted her head to one side in confusion. "Wasn't he supposed to take part in the tournament?"

Yuko gave an exasperated sigh. "I was supposed to stay behind…to sort of look after him," she explained. "He's injured, so we're trying a hot springs cure. I'm gonna get the most out of this trip by clearing up my skin too!"

"Huh?" Rio looked confused. "Wait. Didn't you say you were in the same room? Kazushi…is a guy, right?"

Yuko rolled her eyes. "He's a big ol' girl on the inside, but on the outside, yeah, he's a guy," she said, annoyed. "Ms. Kanou's assigned the rooms, right? What the hell was she thinking?"

Yuuki snickered. "It was probably on purpose."

Yuko sighed. "Ugh… I can just see her raving about summer romances and all that crap!" she said, annoyed. "Kaz is just a big kid to me."

"By the way, Kazushi's injured?" Rio asked, concerned. "Is he okay?"

"No, it's pretty bad," said Yuko, worried. "That's why we're relying on the hot springs cure. And that idiot didn't say anything about it for the longest time. Thanks to that, it's gotten even worse!" She sighed, exasperated. "He's such an idiot! A total dumbass! He got me so worried!"

Rio and Yuuki exchanged amused looks. "Sounds like you two are perfect for each other," said Rio teasingly.

Yuko looked at Rio as if she had suddenly grown two new heads. "What? You've gotta be jok— Wait, what time is it?" She asked suddenly, and Yuuki showed her the time on her watch. "Oops, it's time for Kaz's medication. Well, see you later!"

Yuko ran out of the room, leaving silence behind. Rio coughed. "She can say whatever she wants, but she's taking pretty good care of him," she remarked. She then looked at Yuuki. "So…the hot springs?" she suggested.

Yuuki smiled and nodded. "Sounds good to me."

After a good long soak in the hot springs with everyone, Yuuki returned to the room with Yuko and Rio, feeling energised and not feeling so tired anymore. The three girls then sat down on the futon.

"Hey, isn't there something more appropriate to talk about at times like these?" Yuko grinned, lying down on her front on her futon, supporting her chin with her hands.

"What, like boyfriends?" Yuuki asked.

Yuko's smile got wider. "Exactly! Well… I'd be confessing my love if there was anyone I really liked. I'd prefer a thin guy, but he'd have to be athletic… And there's no one at our school who fits that description."

Rio grinned. "What about Kazushi?"

"No way." Yuko said at once. "Uhh, but I do have this feeling… This is just an if, okay? IF Kaz and me don't end up finding someone for a long time… I get this feeling that I might end up getting married to him…" She sighed. "Ack, what should I do?"

Rio and Yuuki exchanged bewildered looks. "What kind of premonition is that?" Rio wondered.

"I mean, he's completely useless without me." Yuko continued. "There's no way he'll even remember where he keeps his underwear. Imagine him getting old all alone and eating nasty convenience store food every day! It's just so sad!" She sighed.

"So marry him." Yuuki grinned.

Yuko looked like the end of the world is near. "Noooooo!" she nearly shrieked. "I've gotta fight it!" She cleared her throat. "So what about you, Yuuki-san? You've got someone you like, right?"

"Yep." Yuuki said happily.

"Ooooh!" Yuko squealed. "Who is it?"

Yuuki hesitated. She knew that Shinjiro doesn't have a very good reputation in the school. She then shrugged. "It's Shinjiro-sempai," she said.

Silence.

Rio and Yuko exchanged glances before turning back towards Yuuki. "Shinjiro… You mean Aragaki Shinjiro? The senior in class 3-B?" Yuko asked slowly. "The one that had missed school for well over a year before suddenly coming back all of a sudden? The one that is rumoured to hang out around back alleys and all that?"

Yuuki nodded hesitantly. "Yeah," she said. "I know that he's got quite a dubious background and all that, but he's really sweet and kind. He's really nice too. He's really not all that scary once you get to know him."

Yuko looked at her doubtfully. "Well, if you say so…" she trailed off. "Hey, I know! Let's tell some ghost stories! Give me one second!" And she bolted out of the room.

Rio glanced at Yuuki. "Hey Yuuki, I don't know Aragaki-sempai personally, so I'll withhold my opinions on him," she said. "But as long as you believe in him and like him, it'll be all right. Just follow your heart."

Yuuki smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Rio."

Kaz's voice could be heard outside the room just then.

"W-What do you want, Yuko? I was gonna go to sleep!"

**XXXXXX**

_~Amagi Inn, Dark Hour~_

Yuuki's eyes snapped opened as the Dark Hour begun, and the world was blanketed in the usual eerie green glow. She glanced over at the other futons only to see coffins in the places of Rio and Yuko's futons. Yuko was so scared after the lights were turned off on them all of a sudden that she refused to sleep alone, and decided to bunk in with Yuuki and Rio both.

Yuuki sighed as she stood up and slid opened the shoji door, stepping out onto the balcony. She wondered for a moment how her friends are doing back in Iwatodai, and what Shinjiro is doing now. Yuuki then frowned as she caught sight of something black moving down the streets.

"A Shadow?" Yuuki mused. "They're in this town too? It can't be good."

She then entered her room once more, changing into a shirt and pants, also throwing on a jacket as she grabbed her Evoker and headed out of the inn room.

* * *

><p><em>~Dark Hour, Inaba~<em>

Yuuki ran down the streets and around a corner, and ran smack into someone. She fell back on her behind, rubbing her bruised forehead.

"Ouch!"

"Yuuki?" A bewildered voice greeted her, and she opened her eyes only to see her shocked and surprised brother in front of her, pulling her to her feet, looking over his shoulder every few seconds.

"Mina-nii?" Yuuki was equally surprised, and confused as to how he could be moving about freely during the Dark Hour. "How are you—?"

A low howl greeted their ears, and Minato cursed before turning around and spying a large Shadow creeping up from behind him. "Shit!" he leapt aside before the Shadow could cut him into half, and drew out a gleaming revolver.

Yuuki's eyes widened. "Mina-nii, you—"

"Ren!" Minato shouted, and Ren dropped down from a building overhead, landing in between Minato and Yuuki, also with a revolver in hand. "Let's go!"

Ren nodded. "You've got it," he grinned, pointing the revolver to his head. "Persona! Susanno!"

With a loud shattering sound, a Persona appeared behind Ren, taking on the form of a majestic-looking being with red skin and golden eyes. His long wavy black hair fell down to mid-back and he has an amulet-like object hanging from around his neck, with a seven-branched sword in his right hand.

Minato pointed the revolver to his head. "Persona!" he shouted. "Orpheus Telos!"

Yuuki nearly suffered a stroke when she heard what her brother had shouted and summoned. His Orpheus looks almost _exactly_ like her Orpheus, only in the colours of red and gold instead.

'_A Persona…'_

"Orpheus Telos, Garula!"

"Susanno, God's Hand!"

With a loud mournful howl, the giant Shadow then dispersed into nothingness. Minato and Ren sighed before dismissing their Personas, turning towards Yuuki who is currently looking at them with a raised brow.

Ren chuckled nervously. "I guess we got a lot of explaining to do, don't we?"

Yuuki's look told him her answer.

**XXXXXX**

_~August 02, Daytime~_

"Well, thanks a bunch for all your help. We'll remember what we've learned here and keep trying our hardest." Rio beamed.

"Yuuki!"

Yuuki turned only to see Minato and Ren approaching them, both smiling, and Yuuki smiled as well. She remembered their conservation from last night.

Apparently, both of them have awakened as Persona users the moment that they've arrived in this town. A Shadow had attacked them in the middle of the Dark Hour, and just as they've thought that they're goners, someone had thrown two Evokers at them from out of nowhere, and the rest is history.

"I'll come to Iwatodai to visit whenever I can." Minato promised, hugging his sister goodbye. "You take care of yourself, you hear?" He said sternly. "And I mean it. Three proper meals a day, enough sleep and rest, and all that."

"I'll be fine. You two stay safe as well," said Yuuki.

"Yuuki, we're leaving!" Rio called out, and she nodded.

"I have to leave now," said Yuuki. "I'll call back as often as I can. See you, Mina-nii. Ren, take care of my brother for me."

"Sure." Ren grinned as Yuuki ran off to join her team.

Minato was quiet for several moments.

_Jin… Why?_

_This…is for him…_

_No… No…! No! Sayo!_

_Takaya! You bastard!_

_Minato!_

_Give…me…power! PERSONA!_

Ren placed a comforting hand on Minato's shoulder. "It looks like trouble is brewing in Iwatodai as well," he remarked, and Minato nodded.

"Looks like it," he said. "Most be those guys again. It isn't enough that they've messed with Sayo. Now they're messing with my sister? I have no intention to interfere in their affairs, but it looks like I can't ignore it any longer."

He clenched his hand into a tight fist.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Sorry for the late update, people! Anyway, a bit of news here for you guys: I've started up a LiveJournal blog sometime back where I've been posting original stories there (non-fanfiction), and I'll appreciate it if you can take a look. The link is on my profile._

_Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review!_


	11. A New Ally

**Pairings: **Shinjiro/Yuuki. Yukari/Ren. Minato/Fuuka.

**Warnings: **Slight violence. Suicidal implications. Lemon scenes.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Persona 3 Portable or any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eleven: A New Ally<strong>

_~August 6, Ren and Minato's Room, Night~_

The light clacking of keys on the keyboard were the only sounds that could be heard in the dormitory room of Ishigawa Ren and Hariyama Minato.

The room was plain but simple, being one of several rooms in the dormitory building shared by students that attends Yasoinaba High or Yasaogami High. The small rustic town of Inaba tends to get students that come from far away just to attend school here, and get allotted dorm rooms by the school administrative staff.

The room that Ren and Minato shared was plain, decorated with only simple things. The walls were painted a light peach colour, with light blue curtains hanging at the windows to keep the sunlight out during afternoons or mornings. Two similar looking white beds were pressed with their headboards against the wall. There was even a long wooden desk that the two boys shared, with each of them taking one side, though it is rather obvious which side belongs to whom.

Minato's was much more organised, with his books and files in proper order, and there is even a picture of him and his twin sister together sitting on the desk, dressed in their middle school uniforms. Ren's side of the desk was cluttered with papers and books, yet he could somehow always manage to find his things even with all the clutter.

There is even a small mini-refrigerator in a corner near the windows where there is a small coffee table and two comfy chairs where Ren and Minato always sat in to enjoy a small coffee break from their studies.

Right now, Ren was tapping away on his laptop furiously as Minato opened the fridge to take out a disposal juice box, sipping from the straw. The blue haired boy then walked towards his best friend, looking over his shoulder at the monitor.

"How is it?" asked Minato with concern.

"Well, something is definitely up with Iwatodai," said Ren, pulling up some newspaper reports on the screen. He pointed at it with his thumb. "People going missing. The Apathy Syndrome… Victims of the Apathy Syndrome turning up in pairs… You know, the usual?" He glanced at his best friend who frowned. "Your sister attends school in Iwatodai, right? Didn't she mention something about this to you?"

"No, she never said anything about this," said Minato with a shake of his head. He then frowned. "But it seems like it's the work of Shadows."

Ren nodded with a sigh. "And if it's Shadows, it means that Tartarus is somehow included in the equation. And if Tartarus is involved, it means that _they _are involved too," he said. "Also, I have news from some of my contacts about some weird medicine that's been going around."

Minato sighed. "Let me guess, Persona suppressants?" he interrupted, and Ren nodded solemnly. "I knew it." He growled.

Ren sighed, shutting down the lid of his laptop and turning around in his swivel chair to face Minato. "What should we do, Minato?" he asked seriously. "It seems like they have their focus on Iwatodai now. And didn't your sister have a Persona too? If Yuuki has one, and if she has been fighting Shadows like how we have been doing, then it is only a matter of time before she bumps into _them._ And the Kirijo Group…" He trailed off. "I don't know about you, but something tells me that there's something fishy about them. Their name pops up with everything that has to do with Shadows."

"And now the heiress of the group is one of my sister's dorm mates." Minato interrupted.

Ren looked surprised. "You serious?" Minato nodded, and Ren frowned. "Huh…"

The room was blanketed in an eerie green glow just then, and the lights of the room went out. Ren sighed. "Here it is, the Dark Hour," he muttered. He glanced at Minato. "So what now?"

Minato frowned. "It seems like I might have to pay a visit to Iwatodai soon," he stated. "With Yuuki there, and all the incidents happening of late…" He trailed off. "I'm worried. I know that Yuuki can take care of herself. We both have to learn how to after the accident ten years ago. But… Something just isn't right." He frowned. "We might have to pay a visit to Iwatodai. _Both _of us."

**XXXXXX**

_~August 8, Daytime~_

"I'm tired…" Yuuki sighed as she stretched before entering the bathroom with her wash towel with her. "Yesterday is one hell of a night though…" She frowned.

It was another full moon night the previous night, and that means another major battle against one of those Arcana Shadows.

SEES had also had a run-in with two Persona users that called themselves 'Strega'. Shinjiro seems to know them however, and nearly had a fit when they called SEES hypocrites. But they didn't have the time to talk, as they were attacked almost immediately by the Shadows that they were there for in the first place. Akihiko nearly got zapped alive by using Zio attacks on the Shadows, but thankfully, he had some resistance against them.

There was a knock on the bathroom door just then, and Yuuki answered it only to see Mitsuru standing outside it.

"Oh. Kirijo-sempai? What is it? Do you need to use the bathroom?" Yuuki asked, a toothbrush filled with toothpaste in one hand.

"No," said Mitsuru with a smile, looking at Yuuki's 'bed hair' with some amusement. It doesn't seem to matter that Yuuki never seem to move when she sleeps. Her hair always ends up sticking at the ends whenever she woke up. "It's just that there's something that I need to tell everyone. But I think it would be best if you saw it for yourself. Come to the fourth floor meeting room when you get back tonight, okay?"

"Okay…" Yuuki said unsurely as Mitsuru left, before heading back into the bathroom.

* * *

><p><em>~Evening, Command Room~<em>

Everyone but Mitsuru were seated on the couches in the command room when Shinjiro and Yuuki entered, looking at each other in confusion. Apparently, the redhead senior had also asked for them to head to the command room that evening.

"Does that mean we have a new mission?" asked Aigis.

"I dunno," said Junpei with a shrug. "The alarm's not ringing though."

Yukari was about to say something when Mitsuru entered the room, a silver dog walking at her heels, tail wagging happily as he saw everyone present. A black leather collar with a blue bulb on the side and cute angel wings on it's back could be seen around the dog's neck.

"Huh?" Yukari blinked in confusion.

"Koro-chan?"

Koromaru gave a happy excited bark before bounding over towards Shinjiro, barking excitedly at being able to see his old friend again.

"Kirijo, what is this?" Shinjiro asked, patting the excited dog on the head. "And this collar is…" He trailed off, glancing at the collar around Koromaru's neck that had enabled the dog to help them with their battles the last time around.

"Well, as you can probably tell, that collar is designed to help him control his Persona." Mitsuru explained. "In other words, it's an Evoker for dogs."

"What? Wait, does that mean that he'll be going into battle as well?" Yukari asked, shocked.

"It was a surprise for me as well." Mitsuru admitted, watching Fuuka fuss over the silver Shiba-Inu. "But according to the tests, it's quite possible. In fact, it was the Chairman's suggestion. We'll be looking after him here in the dorm." She missed Shinjiro's frown at this.

"And where is he going to sleep?" Akihiko asked, seemingly quite amused at seeing the dog so excited to see his best friend.

Silence.

Shinjiro almost groaned at seeing the dog's pleading eyes on him. When did the dog learn the dreaded 'Puppy Dog Eyes' technique? "In my room, I guess. Unless he prefers sleeping in the lounge."

Koromaru barked.

Junpei grinned. "Hey, make yourself at home," he said. "The more the merrier, right? Who cares if you're a dog?" He then stretched. "Alright, I'll take him for a walk. It's summer break after all!"

"Yes, it is. Enjoy your vacation while you can. Summer classes start next week." Mitsuru told them. "I'll see to it that you graduate."

Shinjiro had a sinking feeling that she is speaking to _him_ directly.

Junpei looked nervous. "H-Hey, good one, sempai. You almost had me there."

"Oh, it's no joke." Mitsuru assured him. "We'll be taking intensive courses. I've already applied for all of us. I know how difficult it's been balancing school and our late night excursions. You haven't had time to study. I apologise for that. That's why the Chairman agrees that it's a good idea. I thought I told Takeba and Yamagishi?" She asked, turning to the two girls.

The two after mentioned girls grinned guiltily.

Junpei on the other hand, looked as if someone had just told him Christmas was cancelled. "Are you serious?" he whined. "This is the first time I've heard of it."

"Umm, sorry. I forgot to mention it." Fuuka apologised, and Junpei groaned.

"Hey, with your grades, you should be thanking her!" Yukari joked. "Tell me, when's the last time when you've actually _passed _a test?" She took a dig at Junpei.

It is common knowledge in their class that nearly every single teacher had given up on Junpei as a lost cause. They'll be lucky if the cap wearing boy actually _stays awake _in their class as it is.

Junpei sighed, and Fuuka giggled nervously. "W-Well, it's only for a few weeks, so let's make the most of it," she said, trying to cheer Junpei up.

"Me too?" Shinjiro pointed at himself, not looking pleased.

"_Especially _you." Mitsuru told Shinjiro severely. "It's nice to see that you've gone back to school _at last. _I've lost count of the number of times when Akihiko or myself have asked you to go back to school only for you to refuse." She muttered the last part beneath her breath, glancing at Yuuki who is sitting next to Shinjiro. "But your grades are still not satisfactory enough."

Shinjiro almost groaned. Akihiko chuckled. "Tough luck, Shinji," he teased.

Shinjiro threw a cushion at Akihiko's head who dodged it easily. "My grades are better than _yours _at least!" he retorted.

Akihiko sweat dropped. "G-Good point," he muttered.

**XXXXXX**

_~August 11, Daytime~_

"Yuuki… Can we go back now?" Yukari almost groaned as she was dragged into yet another shop at the Paulownia Mall. "We've been here for _hours_ already!"

Next to her, Fuuka giggled.

"Just a little more," said Yuuki, walking down the aisle and looking at the various displays of costume jewellery on the shelves.

Yukari groaned. "I can't believe this. It always takes so much to make you do something like stand still for at least five minutes whenever we drag you shopping with us. Yet when it comes to buying a birthday gift for your _boyfriend,_ you can drag us all over Tatsumi Port Island for hours." She grumbled. "You must really love that guy."

Yuuki paused in her step. "…is this really love?" she asked quietly.

"Isn't it?" Yukari asked with a secret smile. "You're the only one whom he even talks to voluntarily. And I've never seen him smile at anyone but you whenever you have one of your 'talks' in the kitchen." She made quote marks in the air, and Fuuka smiled. Whenever Shinjiro and Yuuki are both in the kitchen, everyone in SEES knew enough to stay _out_ of it unless they wants a frying pan or something similar in their faces. "And I've never seen _you _smile at anyone but him like you do. I mean, sure, you smile at me, Junpei, Sanada-sempai, Fuuka, and some of our friends, but the way you smile at Aragaki-sempai is just…different." She added.

Fuuka nodded. "Yuuki-chan, you might act the way you did at school to everyone, but I'm not SEES's analyzer just for our battles, you know?" She smiled a small secret smile at Yuuki. "You rarely talk about yourself the way that me, Yukari-chan and Junpei-kun did, even in the dorm."

Yuuki was silent. She didn't realise that her two closest female friends noticed that. "I'm just…"

"Afraid?" Yukari smiled at Yuuki in understanding. "I saw a counsellor for some years when my dad died." She looked sad. "I acted that way too during the first few years after his death, and when my mom…" She coughed before turning back towards Yuuki. "You don't want to let anyone in. You don't want to get hurt, right?" Yuuki bit on her lip. "Aragaki-sempai might be a tad bit…intimidating, but he's a good guy. He will protect you. He won't hurt you." Yukari smiled. "That's why, you can be yourself around him. I've never seen you smile or laugh the way you did when you are with him."

Yuuki was silent for a long time. "I know that," she said at last. "But…"

"Force of habit?" Yukari guessed, and Yuuki nodded. She laughed. "It takes time." She said encouragingly. "But I do think that he is good for you." Fuuka nodded in agreement.

Yuuki smiled. "I think I've decided," she said, lifting a silver male bracelet from the shelf that she is currently browsing through. It is one of those bracelets rather like that of a chain, and different charms could be added to it. "This will do."

**XXXXXX**

_~Hagakure Ramen, Night~_

"Not with your girlfriend today, kid?" The chef asked his regular customer as Aragaki Shinjiro slurped up a bowl of beef ramen without saying anything.

"Girls' day out." Shinjiro grunted as the door to the shop slid opened, and he heard someone sat on the seat beside him.

"Knew that I'll find you here," said a cheerful voice, and Shinjiro turned only to see a smiling Yuuki. Yuuki who had stated that she's having a 'girls' day out' with her friends that she hadn't been spending the time with lately.

"I'm just having a meal here. You'll see me once I head back to the dorm," said Shinjiro, hiding a small smile.

"Then I'll have to face a firing squad for Interrogation 101 as I give you this," said Yuuki with a roll of her eyes as she gave Shinjiro a small black box.

"What's this?" Shinjiro asked, examining the box carefully.

"It's a gift," said Yuuki slowly as if speaking to a small child. "It's your birthday today, isn't it? You seriously think that I will miss your birthday? Happy birthday, sempai."

"How did you know?" asked Shinjiro, surprised.

"Well, I saw Sanada-sempai's calendar." Yuuki grinned. "There it was, written clearly in red under August 11th, 'Shinji's birthday'."

Shinjiro groaned. "Don't remind me," he said. "Aki offered to cook today as a birthday gift. I told him I'd rather not clean up the kitchen after him, and I'll also rather not suffer a heart attack on my birthday. That guy is _hopeless _in the kitchen!" He grunted. "Between Fuuka and Aki, I'm starting to wonder if there _is _anyone who can cook in SEES!"

Yuuki laughed.

* * *

><p>"So you've never really celebrated your birthday either?" Shinjiro asked with interest as the two walked back to the dorm together, the bracelet that Yuuki had given him now hanging from his left wrist.<p>

"Well, when my parents were alive, sure," said Yuuki with an unsure smile. "But the orphanage that Minato-nii and I went to is really poor. It is a nice and cheerful place to grow up in, but there is always a lack of funds, and too many children to care for. Thus, the orphanage made it so that we celebrate everyone's birthdays at one go near the end of the year. Nothing special. Just a group meal and a homemade cake made by one of the caretakers." She smiled wistfully. "I hadn't gone back there for a visit since graduation from middle school. Wonder how everyone is? It is a nice place to grow up in. Living there is kind of like living with many brothers and sisters at once. Extremely _insane _brothers and sisters. It's like a madhouse, but a nice place. Everyone is so nice to us there, but didn't treat us any differently. They wished us all good luck when Minato-nii and I have to leave to attend high school."

Shinjiro was silent as he listened to Yuuki describe her life at the orphanage that she had lived in at one time during her childhood. He doesn't really remember his own, as Akihiko and he have started living on their own after the orphanage fire that took Akihiko's sister.

"It's nice," said Shinjiro at last. "You should visit them sometime soon. They should like that." He smiled. "Where did you live before here?" Shinjiro asked curiously. Come to think of it, he never did ask Yuuki about her past the last time around.

"Sumaru City." Yuuki beamed. "It's a nice place, though it does have it's quirks. Not like Iwatodai, that's for sure." She laughed. "The police chief that took care of Minato-nii and me for a time before we went to the orphanage is a nice man. He lives with his younger brother, and they both always came to visit us every weekend when we're kids. I should call them sometime soon." She mused. "They would like to hear from us. I'm a bit surprised that they haven't started ringing me up. Katsuya-san and Tatsu-nii. Jun-san too. Tatsu-nii's best friend." She added, seeing Shinjiro's enquiring look.

"Sumaru City, huh?" Shinjiro mused. "I think I recall something about that place being mentioned in the newspapers a few years back."

"Oh." Yuuki paused as they approached the entrance of the dormitory building.

"What's wrong?" Shinjiro asked, but Yuuki didn't answer.

He then followed her line of sight only to see two teenage males sitting on the steps that leads to the entrance of the dorm. One of the males had dark blue hair and eyes, dressed in a simple white shirt with a black hoodie over it and dark jeans. He even had dark blue headphones draped around his neck in a fashion similar to Yuuki. The other guy had black midnight hair and blue eyes rather like his companion, being dressed in a long sleeved white shirt and dark jeans.

Yuuki walked towards them quickly, with Shinjiro close behind her, wondering who the two are.

"Mina-nii! Ren!" Yuuki called out to the two boys, and Shinjiro's eyes widened. Her brother and his best friend that she'd mentioned after returning from the Inaba trip? What are they doing here?

The two boys looked up and their faces brightened when they saw Yuuki, though the one with the blue hair frowned when he saw Shinjiro behind her.

"You didn't tell me that you'd be coming here." Yuuki told her brother and his friend. "Is there something wrong?"

"Well, kind of." Ren coughed.

"Shinjiro-sempai, this is my brother and his best friend." Yuuki turned towards Shinjiro. "Hariyama Minato." Minato nodded to the brunette. "And Ishigawa Ren." Ren managed a small wave. "Why are you here?" She asked them.

Minato sighed as he looked at his sister. "Is there a private place where we can talk without someone overhearing us?" he asked seriously. "It's trouble."


	12. The Visit

**Pairings: **Shinjiro/Yuuki. Yukari/Ren. Minato/Fuuka.

**Warnings: **Slight violence. Suicidal implications.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Persona 3 Portable or any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twelve: The Visit<strong>

It didn't take too long for all of SEES to gather in the lounge area, even Koromaru. Currently, all of them were staring at Minato and Ren, waiting for them to start talking. Shinjiro who was seated beside Yuuki was staring at Minato for a whole other reason, the cogs in his brain turning furiously.

Yuuki had never mentioned that she had an older twin brother the last time around, even though he _did_ overhear a conversation that Yuuki had with Yukari and Fuuka once about her brother. But apart from that, Shinjiro had never heard anything about her twin brother before. It made the brunette feel a little hurt, as Yuuki didn't seem to trust him enough to tell him about her brother.

And then again, should he really be one to speak? After all, he had never said anything about Strega, the Persona suppressant pills and even the incident with Amada's mother to Yuuki the last time around. And that disastrous night on Oct 4, despite feeling his life force rapidly draining away from him, he can't help but feel as if his heart is breaking into pieces when he'd seen Yuuki crying her eyes out next to him.

As Shinjiro looked from Yuuki to her twin brother, he can't help thinking that they're as different as far as twins could get. It's like they're complete opposites, for one. Yuuki is rather cheerful and gentle, and rather soft-spoken, but Minato seems to be rather aloof and had a rather dreamy expression on his face. But Shinjiro wasn't fooled, as he could see the sharp glint in his eyes, and knew that somewhere in there is a calculated tactician. The brunette assumed that that is probably where Yuuki got her head for tactics.

"All right." Ren coughed into his hand, glancing at Minato who hadn't yet shifted his eyes off of the beanie-wearing brunette even once ever since Yuuki had ushered them into the dormitory building. Said brunette seemed rather uncomfortable with Minato's unnerving gaze as well. "Let's start with the introductions first. I'm Ishigawa Ren. I'm a junior at Yasoinaba High School."

Ren glanced at Minato, but as the blue haired teen didn't even move or say anything, Ren jabbed him in the side none too gently with his elbow. The blue haired teen rubbed at his ribs, glaring slightly at Ren before glancing at SEES. "The same, Hariyama Minato," he introduced himself with a seemingly bored tone. "I'm also the older twin brother of Yuuki."

This information was new to all of SEES except for Shinjiro who already knew somewhat, given how Yuuki had talked about Minato briefly, and how she had greeted him outside the dorm earlier.

"You're Hariyama's twin brother?" Mitsuru asked with surprise.

"You've never mentioned it." Yukari looked at Yuuki.

"I did."

Ren coughed loudly, and all attention was focused on him once more. "Thank you," he said solemnly as the room quietened down once more. "And just like all of you, we're Persona users as well." He told SEES, much to their shock.

"P-Persona users?" Mitsuru spluttered, losing her famous composure for the first time. "How?"

"The same way that you did, I'm sure." Ren said sarcastically. "We woke up in the middle of the Dark Hour, found that—"

Minato sighed and interrupted his best friend, already seeing a twitch at the side of Mitsuru's brow.

The twins exchanged looks as one.

Ren seriously had a gift, Yuuki thought to herself. She had never seen the muscle in Mitsuru's cheek twitch that badly before. And then again, she doubt that her elegant senior ever had to face someone mocking or such straight to her face before. Behind her back, sure. Yuuki doesn't doubt that even within the school, Mitsuru had quite a few enemies who are jealous of her. But even they aren't brave enough to voice their opinions straight to Mitsuru's face. Ren must be the first one to do that.

"_Yes,_ thank you, Ren." Minato interrupted, seeing that the redhead looked ready to throw something at his best friend's head, preferably the table lamp next to her. Having dealt with Ren as his roommate, classmate and then best friend, Minato knew that Ren can be quite irritating at times, but he is a good guy at heart. This time around however, Minato knew that Ren's attitude towards Mitsuru is more personal than anything. Ishigawa Ren had never bothered to hide his disdain for the Kirijo Group, especially after the duo's brief encounter with _them._ Minato then glanced around the room. "Like what Ren was saying, we're Persona users as well. I am the summoner of the Persona, Orpheus Telos."

"Mine is Susanno." Ren grunted.

"I've never heard of Persona users outside ourselves before." Akihiko frowned.

"Of course not." Minato deadpanned. "Seeing as how we tend to keep our 'nightly' activities in Inaba quiet. And Inaba is a small town after all. Anything that happens in there rarely reaches the ears of folks outside it."

"You mean that things like Shadows and stuff have also been happening in Inaba?" Junpei gaped.

"Not as bad as Iwatodai _yet,_ but yes." Ren nodded. "They tend to appear from time to time, particularly during the Dark Hour. But it gets especially worse after it rains. I've already lost count of the number of times when Minato and myself either overslept or ended up sleeping in class after a rainy night, since we tend to spend the night before fighting Shadows and stuff."

"I've never heard of anything like this happening in other places apart from Iwatodai." Yukari frowned. "I wonder if Ikutsuki-san knows…?"

Shinjiro coughed loudly before someone makes the suggestion to call Ikutsuki here to listen to this. Something tells him that it is better off for everyone involved if the two-faced bastard does not hear a word about this. "So is there is a reason why you're here telling us about your involvement in the Dark Hour and the Shadows?" he asked curtly.

Ren and Minato exchanged quick glances before turning back towards SEES, Minato's gaze resting on Mitsuru for a fraction of a second longer before tearing his eyes away. "I wouldn't say a reason exactly. More of a necessity." He corrected, much to everyone's confusion. The blue haired teen glanced at his sister. "Yuuki, if your lot are Persona users too, then I'm sure that you've heard about the experiments done ten years ago on Tatsumi Port Island by the Kirijo Group?" he asked, and Yuuki nodded.

Ren took over next. "And if you're Persona users as well, then it's only a matter of time before you run into 'them'." He then narrowed his eyes. "Or… Have you already met them?"

"If the 'them' that you're talking about refers to that bunch of crazies calling themselves 'Strega', then yes, we've already met them." Junpei snorted, recalling the two crazy guys whom they'd met during one of the full moon nights, and when they'd ended up getting themselves locked in after the brief battle.

"That makes things easy then." Minato cleared his throat, exchanging looks with Ren before turning towards SEES. "As of now, we're still unclear about their general motives. We only know that it has something to do with the Kirijo Group." He glanced at Mitsuru. "But if possible, do try to avoid them if at all possible. Though with the way things are going, I doubt that it's entirely possible." He sighed.

"Minato, we've been here long enough." Ren said, glancing at the blue haired teen next to him. "We should go."

"Yeah." Minato sighed and got up.

"Wait! What do you mean by that?" Shinjiro demanded, his mind reeling at the fact that Strega had also been active briefly in Inaba.

Ren sighed and turned towards Shinjiro. "Let me ask you something. Have any of you sparred against each other using your Personas before?" he asked, and he got blank looks for his answer. "I take that as a no. When two Persona users fight against each other, most of the time, only _one _survives."

"_What?"_ Mitsuru paled.

"What are you talking about?" Yukari demanded, standing up from her seat, her face pale. "You're saying that every single time two Persona users duel, one—"

"Not duel, miss. _Fight."_ Ren corrected. "A Persona is an embodiment of one's soul. You probably knew this already." Yukari nodded. Mitsuru, Akihiko and even Ikutsuki had told her about it when she had first joined SEES. "Thus, every time you summon your Persona, you're summoning part of yourself. What do you think will happen if a fellow Persona user or even a particularly powerful Shadow 'kills' a Persona?"

There was deadly silence.

Surprisingly, Fuuka was the first one to speak, given how quiet that she had been the entire conversation. "They…die, right?" she squeaked. "Given how a Persona is half of our soul in essence."

"That's right. When they 'kill' your Persona, they kill or even injure half of your soul. In essence, that is more than enough to harm the living body. Thus, majority of the time, when two Persona users fight, only one survives." Minato sighed. "Take my advice. Try not to fight them. If not for yourselves, at least for them. I doubt you would want murder on your hands." He murmured. "Let's go, Ren. If you want to contact us, do it through Yuuki. She has my email."

The dormitory doors closed behind them, leaving an awkward silence in its wake.

**XXXXXX**

_~August 16, Naganaki Shrine, Evening~_

"It's been awhile since I've been to any festivals in Iwatodai." Shinjiro commented, craning his neck to look at the lights of the shrine where the several vendors have set up their stalls. There was even music chiming from somewhere.

"…Yeah."

Shinjiro turned towards Yuuki who looks rather desolate sitting next to him. Both are currently seated on one of the steps that lead up to the shrine. As it is a festival day, Shinjiro had taken Yuuki with him, also to cheer her up, as she had been so down ever since her brother had made that announcement that day.

Yuuki wasn't the only one however. Akihiko, Mitsuru, Yukari, Fuuka and even Junpei are all equally down.

And Shinjiro found that he is practically giving himself a major migraine at this point. Too many things simply don't add up here. True, Shinjiro knew first-hand that when two Persona users fight, most of the time, one ends up dead. Especially if you're a member of Strega and can't control your Persona. If Strega weren't such bastards, Shinjiro could almost feel sorry for them, since their ability to have Personas are mainly due to the experiments done on them.

Shinjiro sighed. "Are you thinking about what your brother had said?" he asked, and Yuuki looked at him, surprised. "I'll tell you to not mind it, but I know that it's impossible for you." He said bluntly, and Yuuki smiled. Shinjiro sighed. "I know that you've talked about your brother before, but seriously, he is quite different from you, isn't he?" He snorted. "Are you two _really_ twins?"

Yuuki laughed, and Shinjiro grinned inwardly, pleased that he at least managed to make Yuuki laugh. No one has seen her smile and laugh for days ever since her brother had dropped the bombshell on their heads.

"Everyone says that. Even Ren said that when I'd met him at Inaba," she said. "Mina-nii is a little…well, _special."_ Yuuki said weakly. "He might look like that, but he has quite a sharp mind. He doesn't really care what he has to do in order to achieve his goals. While this might make him look ruthless and uncaring, he isn't really a bad person. He just has to become this way because back then, it's the only way for us to survive. Even when we're kids, he's always protected me." Yuuki smiled sadly. "In a way, he's turned out the way he is because of me."

Shinjiro said nothing. He can relate to that, as he knew that he himself had changed too after the orphanage fire, and then the incident with Amada's mother.

"I doubt that we can avoid our encounters with Strega though." Yuuki sighed. "But if even Mina-nii and Ren have encounters with them…" She trailed off slowly, a frown on her face. "What are they planning?"

Shinjiro sighed. "Who knows?" _'Damn it, why do I feel like something bad is about to happen soon?' _He scowled inwardly to himself, resisting the urge to massage his temples.

"Oh right." Yuuki seemed as if she'd just remembered something, and turned towards Shinjiro. "Mina-nii asked me to give you his cellphone number and his email." She told a surprised Shinjiro.

"Huh? What for?" Shinjiro asked, surprised.

Yuuki shrugged. "I have no idea," she said, right hand out for Shinjiro's cellphone that he handed over, and she then keyed in something. "He wouldn't tell me. He just told me in his latest email to give you his contact, and for you to call him as soon as possible. He said that it's something urgent."

* * *

><p>Shinjiro drummed his fingers on his desk as he waited for Minato to pick up the call.<p>

It is currently ten o'clock, and the rest of the dormitory have long turned in, all of them tired out from their outing to the festival. And from what Shinjiro had overheard, Akihiko had actually taken Mitsuru out, with Yukari, Junpei, Fuuka and Aigis going together as friends.

Finally, after what seemed like a long while, the call was picked up.

"_Hariyama speaking. Who is this?"_ A voice spoke on the other end of the line that Shinjiro recognised as Minato's.

"It's Aragaki." Shinjiro answered. "Yuuki told me that you'd asked for me to contact you?" He sounded unsure of himself for a moment, wondering what the brother of his girlfriend wants with him.

"_Ah. That was fast. I half expected for you take a week at least before calling me."_ Minato replied, and Shinjiro twitched. This guy and his best friend seem to have a natural talent in pissing people off. _"It's about Strega."_

Shinjiro paused. "Strega?" he echoed. "If it's about them, shouldn't you be telling this to the rest of SEES?"

"_I don't think so,"_ came Minato's low drawl. _"I seriously doubt that they would even take me seriously. Besides, majority of SEES is more of the action type than the listen type. If I tell this to that redhead, do you honestly think that she'll take what I said seriously?"_

Shinjiro grudgingly had to agree with Minato here. Mitsuru would probably ignore whatever 'advice' that Minato had given her, though it is probably due to the fact how Ren had treated her. Not a good first impression, definitely.

There are some members of SEES however, apart from Shinjiro himself who seemed to have taken a liking to Minato and Ren. Fuuka for one seems to take a personal interest in Minato, and Junpei seems to like Ren, not that Shinjiro is really surprised, as the latter two seems so similar in terms of personality. If they weren't living a train ride away from each other, they could almost be best friends, brothers even. Though nothing is stopping Junpei _or_ Fuuka from taking the train to Inaba to see them.

"Why me then?" Shinjiro asked. "Why don't you tell this to Yuuki? She's the leader after all. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm more of the action guy."

"_Of course, I will tell Yuuki what I know as well."_ Minato sounded as if he is rolling his eyes. _"But I have another reason why I'm letting you know. I've heard of your name prior to you rejoining SEES. I do believe that you're already long familiar with Strega even before they made their appearance to SEES?"_

Shinjiro froze for a second before he growled. "What do you know?" he hissed. He is very sure that no one knew of his…brief history with Strega. Not even Akihiko knew the last time around until he had basically shoved Persona suppressants down the Chidori girl's throat.

"_Relax. I know only a little. Just that Strega supplied you with Persona suppressants for nearly a year before you suddenly stopped taking them nearly half a year ago. And by helping SEES, you've basically made yourself an enemy of them."_

Shinjiro growled. "Get to the point."

"_Fine. Ren is currently turning out any information that he could on Strega. Right now, all that we know about them is that they have some kind of connection to the Kirijo Group and the experiments performed roughly a decade ago. What exactly, we have no idea, thus why Ren is currently investigating."_ Minato explained.

Shinjiro listened, inwardly thinking that Yuuki definitely isn't joking when she said that her brother isn't your run-of-the-mill teenager. He has a sharp and quick mind ready to rival that of an adult's or even Mitsuru's. Yuuki had even said that Minato had turned out the way he had because he tried to protect her. Just what had happened to the twins in the past that had caused Minato to turn out the way he had?

"What are you asking me to do?" Shinjiro asked.

"_I want you to protect my sister."_ Minato said simply. Shinjiro blinked, as he could almost detect a hint of worry in the normally impassive teen's voice. _"Protect her with your life if you have to. If SEES is on the radar of Strega, then she'll be the one that they will target. I want you to protect her. We'll do what we can on our side as well, but I want you to keep her safe when I'm not there."_

"Of course." Shinjiro said at once.

"_Well, onto other matters."_ Minato drawled, and his voice suddenly grew rather dark. _"I heard a rather interesting story from Fuuka the other day. What's this about you and my sister being an item?"_

Shinjiro blanched. Oh right, he'd nearly forgot that he had failed to inform Minato about his relationship with Yuuki.

"Er…"


End file.
